She who touched Death
by Canard Pars
Summary: After Sasuke used Chidori on her to kill her to hopefully awaken his Mangekyo, Naruto was teetering between life and death, and spent her comatose days in what seems to be nothingness. Since she is neither going up and down, she realizes she can choose whether to live or die. She chose to live and awakened to a dangerous pair of eyes. And then there are those who lent her a hand.
1. Chapter 1

The Old Man of the Night

It was dark.

Nothing but emptiness.

She could only see herself floating and not going anywhere. She was all alone. Yet at the same time, relieved?

Relieved that nobody would hurt her anymore...relieved that she's at peace. She felt that.

But there's no way THIS could be peace.

She imagined peaceful afterlives to be beautiful. Paradise. A field of flowers and all that.

But this is darkness. A void of nothingness.

It was lonely.

It's something she was used to. Due to what she is, she was all alone. She curled up, sulking at the thought.

Despite how she moved, she didn't go up and down.

Then by instinct, she realized it.

She wasn't going up and down because she is neither dead or alive.

But where to go? Up or down? She didn't know if either direction will lead her to life or death.

She's at a loss, really. She groaned, sulked, threw a tantrum...but neither of the three was productive.

Thus she decided.

'To hell with it, I'll go downstairs!' she yelled. 'I hate to sound like that guy but if it's fate I die, so be it but I believe my body is down there!' and she dove down below, but a force pulled her up. 'Huh? Heeeey?!' she gasped out as next thing she knew, a bright light shone upon her.

The last she heard were words from a disembodied voice that she couldn't tell whether it's a guy or a girl, '**You chose the wrong path to live, idiot. You go up, not down**.'

Great, even Limbo called her an idiot.

She went up. Waaaay up. Until she felt that her body touched water...and sank into that water and then nothing again.

She opened her eyes...and she saw weird lines that should not be there in her hospital room. She was hooked up to Life Support machines, IV Drips...even those had lines. She also felt something...ugh, inside her. A plastic tube. She got up despite her state to see said tube connected to a plastic bag containing urine.

Those lines resembled the rare lights she saw in the void. By instinct, even Naruto knew not to mess with it. So she stayed still and waited.

She hated staying still but her body hardly moved at all.

She decided to go back to sleep. She slept a lot, what's a few hours more? By this time, she no longer cared.

Afterall, she was someone who was used and thrown away. She really had no reason to go after him anymore and get hurt again. Her best friend of all people...and then he tells her that to gain his family's strongest bloodline...he has to kill his best friend.

Said best friend, is her.

She loved him because he cared for her. She thought that...their friendship was worth something. And it was he who gave her his hand first. So she thought he cares for her.

Only to learn that she's just 'a requirement'. He used her. And his feelings are all fake.

She could not help but cry in silence since even her voice failed her. Her eyes just shed tears as the lines disappeared.

She cried herself to sleep. And the tear stains on her face were proof that she was regaining consciousness as discovered by Shizune thus people who were worried for her came to wait for her to wake up.

However, she was doing a good job faking it when she knows they're around. She really didn't want to talk to anyone right now.

However, one night...

'Ojouchan...' a voice who wasn't Jiraiya spoke. 'Wakey wakey. You can fool them but you certainly can't fool me. Hohoho!' She opened her eyes to see an old man with spiky hair parted in the middle, with a black cloak, a fancy outfit and a cane. 'I came here to help you out.'

'H...elp...e?'

'Yep.' he said. 'You awakened to a really special pair of eyes. I was sent here to help you.'

'Who?'

The old man grinned.

'By the very thing who kicked you back to the living.' he chuckled. 'When people are chosen to have special eyes after experiencing death itself and then kicked back to the living, people like myself are sent to either help out...or put you out of your misery if you can't control it.' Naruto mouthed something as her voice failed her. She wanted to know what the heck just happened and what were those lines.

'That's right...those lines you see are the lines and points of 'death'. By cutting those lines with anything, even tracing that line with a finger will do, whatever is in that line will either die or be destroyed in the case of objects and magic.' he said. 'The bigger the line the greater the destruction, or absolute death occurs. But the smaller and thinner lines merely cut, not that much of a damage. So when your special eyes are activated, you'd do best to be careful with your hands.'

'...how to turn it off? Simply wish for it. But by turning it on, it consumes your energy depending on what lines and points you strike and cut. Do you want to come with me for training?' Then Naruto mouthed a request. She wanted to leave a letter.

Thus caused chaos when Tsunade found an empty room the next day.

_Tsunade-baachan,_

_I trust only you and Ero-sennin with this knowledge, meaning, NO GETTING DRUNK_  
_as drunk people tend to be VERY chatty and an open book. Something happened to_  
_me while I'm...out of it. I was sure I was dead since I was in darkness. Nothingness._  
_And since I wasn't going up or down, I know I'm neither alive nor dead. I just had to_  
_choose whether to go back or just die. I don't know whether to feel lucky or not, really._

_So I went down...but a voice told me I'm going the wrong way and kicked me back up._  
_Even death called me an idiot, dammit. I think it was kami-sama since the voice neither_  
_belonged to a man or woman. And it's like several are talking at once. And then I woke_  
_up, seeing strange lines made up of the lights I saw at the void. And I knew shit will happen_  
_If I touch them so I stayed still. I was scared to open my eyes so I pretended to be asleep_  
_when people came to see me just so nothing will happen._

_Then I met an old man. He told me about death and the eyes very few are privileged to get_  
_after 'living again'. He was sent to see if I can be trained, or put out of my misery as my new_  
_eyes are something I'm very unlucky to get. So I went with him to train my eyes...or I'll cause_  
_trouble around me if I ever even accidentally touch the lines if my eyes are on and I can't stop_  
_it. I went with him because he knows what I'm dealing with. NOBODY IN KONOHA CAN HELP._  
_I don't know how long I'll be back. Maybe as soon as I control this thing. But maybe before I_  
_end this letter...I'll give you what you already know and some of this, you don't know._

_He and I fought. He embraced the power of the Seal. He even became a monster with webbed_  
_hands for wings. He made it clear he'll go to Orochimaru...and I'm just a requirement for the_  
_Mangekyou Sharingan. Meaning, he used me. He faked his friendship with me while I really thought_  
_we were friends. The smiles...everything he gave me was fake. Can you imagine how I felt?_  
_That I was just used and then thrown away after using Chidori on my chest? I honestly don't know_  
_what to feel anymore. I don't think I can ever forgive him for this. I'll never forgive him. To_  
_someone like me and Gaara...people who truly care for us are truly important to us and yet he..._  
_He can go fuck with that snake pedophile for all I care. If I see him again...I'll kill him. He certainly_  
_has no problems killing me, why should I hold back? I went with my watcher so I can train although_  
_he had to carry me as I can't move since my body just won't damn move._

_I'll come back with my watcher as soon as I master these new eyes. Don't let anyone know about my_  
_new eyes and how I got it. Those greedy fuckers in the council will force me to 'breed' these eyes and_  
_I don't trust anyone with these eyes. I don't trust myself either. Tell everyone the pervert took me away_  
_for my safety or something. And...who are my real friends? Do I really have any? If I never came back,  
it means I failed and I was killed to protect those who I might harm if I lost control. If I came back, that  
means I succeeded.  
_

_Don't wait for me. I'll come home on my own._

The busty blonde shook at this.

'Naruto...'

xxx

In another world...the old man took Naruto to an office lit with candles.

'...where?'

'My office.' said the old man. 'You'll be learning stuff from a person I called over because I am in charge of Parallel Worlds, I can't just leave my office, you know? I also have to watch over your world so you'll know what happens and what to watch out for.'

'OK...I hope...they're nice...' Naruto wheezed out. 'But...my body...' she gasped as she still had trouble moving.

'Well, you're in a coma for nearly a year now kiddo.' the old man told her to her shock. A year?! 'Yep, a year. You were in there for THAT long.' he chuckled. 'Before you meet your teacher who doesn't know facts that I do, I should tell you these facts. You were immersed in death. A death you came back from whilst you lingered in between...you encountered the Origin itself. So your eyes are far more special than the usual Eyes of Death Perception. And maybe...you'll be just like some of us who reached the Origin itself. Very few had that privilege. Six of us and now with you, there's seven. Do not tell the teacher I called out for you. I will tell you more when your education and training is over.'

'Hm? Your ninja training? Hohoo, that will be handled too, dear. For now, I'll be fixing your muscle atrophy.'


	2. Ninja Becomes Magus

Ninja Becomes Magus

Since Naruto disappeared...

As promised, only Tsunade and Jiraiya knew the truth while Naruto's statement about her battle with Sasuke was known. And what she felt about it.

The rookies were surprised by what they learned from the statement Naruto left behind. That, and she will kill Sasuke when she sees him again. The fact was, she truly loved him only to learn that the care and friendship he showed her were fake and she was just 'a requirement' he needed to awaken the pinnacle of the Uchiha Bloodline did not sit well with everyone. And during that time, Jiraiya had to go vamoose to keep up the guise.

Both were worried about the true reason why Naruto left with this man who she came with as he knew about her new eyes and neither knew if she would succeed or not. And it's been three years since she was gone. So they were really worried and there's only so long they can push the elders off their backs.

Why did their sensei put them in power again? Damn old man. He left them quite the annoying piece of work.

Then one day, at the end of the third year, they received a letter. Both of them thought, 'FINALLY!'

**Baachan, Ero-sennin,**

**My three years of training are over. But I'll be sticking around**  
** for a bit while longer since the place I'm in is too damn interesting**  
**and I'm learning a lot over here. I'm also looking for loads of stuff**  
**to bring home in my travels with sensei, so I'm veeery busy. I'm a**  
**ninja. I don't do legal shit, I'm stealing it!**

This made the sannin do a double-take.

**Tell everyone I'm OK. Just that I'll be quite busy going around sights**  
**and looking for souvenirs to bring home. I also enclosed in pictures of**  
**where I'm staying at and what kind of places I'm in. Hee! And baachan,**  
**with what I'll bring home, maybe you won't need that fake genjutsu.  
You might wanna study it to make it better though. Last I check they  
don't use jutsu to improve quality of produced medicine and stuff.**

'That brat...' Tsunade twitched as Jiraiya laughed at her expense, earning him a painful bonk on the head when she beaned him with her fist. And then the pictures, all of which are labeled with a black marker.

Pictures of her in the Ryougi Estate, Sights around Mifune City, What schools there are like, as well as entertainment.

She even took photos of strip clubs and the rather rated photos were meant for Jiraiya. And the hospitals weren't spared either. Then a photo of herself...at her current age. She even joined...Cosplay Conventions and dressed up in odd outfits.

'Looks like she's fine at least.' Jiraiya sighed in relief.

'Yeah. That means she succeeded.' Tsunade smiled.

xxx

Three years later...

Mifune City, Year 1998...

Naruto, now sixteen years old has trained hard and gained many new abilities. Not only did she improve her combat skills, learning a variety of martial arts by utilizing Kage Bunshin, She read about various martial arts she took interest in and practiced each style's moves in an obsessed manner of 'practicing a move 500 times till she's used to it'. She also underwent intense physical conditioning that she's toned while still remaining feminine in appearance. The only sign she has muscles is her rounded shoulders, the barely-there bulges of her biceps and triceps, and the noticeable bulges on her lower forearms, and her calves below her knees. She utilized a training method that 'wrung the water out' thus she's slim and slender but still with shape. But by losing her baby fat, she deceptively looked older than she should she's often mistaken for 18 up than her actual age of 16.

This was something she DISLIKED that she took to stealing beauty products shown on TV Shopping Networks if only to look younger to what her age actually suggested.

Her teacher in Magecraft is Aozaki Touko. She is the one Zelretch hired to teach her and she got paid for her troubles with either money or magic books.

And she's definitely a better teacher than Kakashi at any rate. The man was more into Teamwork than teaching them skills they need to survive. More often than not, they had to wing it. And only Sasuke has techniques as he has his family library to fall back on, and the only jutsu Naruto knows is Kage Bunshin that she learned from the scroll Mizuki tricked her into stealing for him, and what she learned from Jiraiya; Rasengan and Summoning: Toads. That, and her resourcefulness and craftiness in her pranking days that often saved her hide.

And she learned a lot from Touko while also self-studying on her own. But competent teacher aside, she's quite, the piece of work.

Touko is an individual with dual personalities, allowing her to change her personality depending on how she views the situation. She is fundamentally a romanticist and a fountain of knowledge, having come from the Universal Research Department in the Magus Association and graduated Master with Noble Color Red. She is also a strict teacher who expected her best efforts. But if Naruto screwed up, she never yells at her but instead, nitpicking on her mistakes and then had Naruto figure out how to fix her mistake in order to learn from it.

Touko also took great interest in her Kage Bunshin technique and the possibilities of it. She learned the technique from her and experimented with it...learning that whatever the clones learn and experience go back to the caster, along with what power it has left. Thus the time learning from books and learning spells will be drastically cut depending on how many clones one has. The example being if they created three clones and trained alongside the original for one whole day, when the clones are gone, the experience gained would be four days' worth, thus reaching mastery and cheating in education is very possible. The only thing it cannot cheat in, is actual physical conditioning and training, something the user has to do the ol' fashioned way.

However, by using Od, they will never forget what they learned using their clones but if they used chakra, they'll forget at some point.

The drawback? Multiplied Mental Fatigue/Stress to the point that you get knocked out from it. And Naruto who can make 40 Kage Bunshin using her Od...is prone to getting knocked out cold if the clones disappeared all at once, thus they must disappear one by one. And Touko saw the technique as the best thing since money.

Naruto learned about Magi, Magecraft and its Concepts, Magic, Creatures, Magus Association, Magus Terminology and then learning actual techniques from her. Because she possessed Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, it also makes sense that she is capable of Magecraft. Her Circuits were awakened, a 50 A++ which was a boon for her. She learned Elemental Magecraft with her Element being Wind and her Sub-Element being Lightning. However, Naruto must create her own techniques regarding her Elemental Magecraft in order to be her own Magus. After that, was Healing Magecraft and reading numerous Medical Books with her clones in order to utilize the knowledge well. Following that are Bounded Fields, Flowing and Transferring of Power, Familiars, Material Transmutation, Mental Interference, and Runecraft, all the while doing physical conditioning and combat training in the Ryougi Estate as she is a Kunoichi in Training, and her plethora of clones left behind with Touko in her office. She also learns martial arts in her stay with them.

She spent two years with the Ryougi while her clones spent time with Touko. And her third year, was spent with her. Magecraft and spells aside, she also used her clones for learning mundane knowledge such as cooking, visual arts, cultural arts and music, and fashion designing as well as learning how to sew.

After learning from books(and enduring the stress that came with it), she came to learn about Touko's new employees, Kokutou Mikiya and the recently-awakened Ryougi Shiki who was in coma for two years...and awakening her own Mystic Eyes of Death Perception.

The girl freaked out of course. And then they began training their eyes together for a good six months.

And her fellow girl...in her opinion, is a complete piece of work.

Ryougi Shiki is the beautiful daughter and heiress of the Ryougi Family because she gained the family trait while her older brother didn't. But her male personality died in the car accident just so she could live and feels a detachment from her memories. She does not have a realistic sense of living, knowing that she is Shiki while also not feeling that she actually is Shiki. She hopes to regain herself and the 'dead' Shiki, and decides to put on a cold facade that somewhat resembles the male Shiki's, utilizing a course male speech pattern and 'ore', and tries to act as the female Shiki. She has a cold, mean, heartless, and merciless personality, appearing to care about nothing, but she occasionally reacts in surprisingly feminine ways. Due to being aware of her abnormality since childhood, being a killer who could not kill, she hated both herself and other people. Naruto felt only Mikiya can get through to her and Touko to some extent. Naruto never met anyone like her and she's too complex for her. But the two were on cordial, professional terms.

As for Kokutou Mikiya, he is the exact opposite of Shiki. He is gentle and compassionate but mostly his personality reflects his Origin 'one that will never hurt others, more so than anyone else'. Mild-mannered and caring, he is a person anyone would like. In fact, Naruto herself likes him as an older brother figure since he had the air of one. That, and he and Shiki are a year older than her and she wished she had someone like him for a friend in where she came from. Because of Mikiya's Origin, she felt she could trust him with anything. He also taught her about school subjects she's interested in since school here was different in where she came from.

After training, she decided to stick around before going home. Thus she would join Garan no Dou for the time being, and became the other of Touko's two hired muscles, while Mikiya works as the brains of the job.

However, unlike Shiki who started right away, Naruto started a bit late.

London, May 23 1998...

Naruto came to the Clock tower, to the upper floors using various authorization spells she has with her. Many people ogled her because it's rare for Asians to come here.

In her stay in this world, Earth, Naruto learned many types of people existed. With her appearance, she is considered an Asian in this world and most of the people in the west are Caucasian from various countries. And since Clock Tower has prejudice against Asian magi, seeing them here would be rare.

Much less a blonde Asian who somehow has access to high authority floors at that. She knew she'd be the topic of any subject today as she made her way up...to Zelretch's Office.

'Zelretch-jiji.' she greeted as she knocked. 'You here?'

'I'm always here!' and Naruto let herself in. 'It's been three years Naruto.' the old man greeted. 'How are things?'

'I'm confident that I'm good enough for Jounin, jiji.' Naruto grinned. 'The Ryougi are much better combat and martial arts teachers than the retards in the Academy, honestly.' she scoffed. 'That may be because they focus on jutsu more...and Touko-sensei's gone nuts about my Kage Bunshin skill if created using Od. Apparently, what the clones learn and experience go back to the user so it's great for training and cheating with books, so she knocked herself out. What takes years got cut veeeery short.'

'That's interesting.' Zelretch looked interested indeed as he took out a strange machine. 'Create one.' he said, starting up the machine.

'Hai.' Naruto formed a seal and created one clone and the machine began printing in runic script.

'Hoho...ohohoho! Very interesting indeed! Good material too.' Zelretch cackled in glee as he read the printout. 'This must be the ultimate cheating technique in regards to education and experience in learning spells! Too bad we have to do some things the hard way though. But ah well.'

'Even you flipped.' Naruto shook her head in bemusement. 'Would Magi kill for such a skill?'

'You bet your furry tenant they would.' Zelretch snorted. 'If it means reaching masteries quicker and sooner. You're here for information aren't you?'

'Yes...on what's going on in my world.' Naruto quipped. 'And what happened while I was gone. With my new peepers only two people there know, my eyes will still attract trouble. Paricularly the greedy council so I'm worried.'

'Meh, think of it like Rinnegan. Only one random person in the world can have it.' said Zelretch wryly. 'The Mystic Eyes of Death Perception can only be usable by those exposed to the Root and managed to live again after escaping Death. Even if they gouge your eyes for themselves, they won't get the power because the power rests in your soul. The eyes are just a medium to use it, hence, Mystic Eyes.' he said airily. 'It'll just be pointless and their greed will not profit. In fact, just get a replacement eyes incase yours did get gouged out and you'll see them again as well as use the power. Getting DNA off you won't help either. As I said, your power lies in your soul. It can never be stolen by anyone. Ever.'

Naruto looked relieved at that.

'That means I can't breed it either!' she grinned happily. 'I don't trust myself yet with these eyes and I don't trust anyone around me either. So in a way I'm glad it can never be...passed around like Christmas cards.' Zelretch chuckled merrily. 'That just took a big weight off my back.' she stretched herself as if waking up. 'These eyes should never breed in my world.'

'And it never will, kiddo.' said the old man. 'They are rare because only few privileged souls can ever hope to get it.' he reassured her. 'Now then, here's your homework...what happened during the time you're gone.'


	3. Big damn Hero

Big damn Hero

Naruto's head was swimming since gleaning all the information back in her hotel room in London.

A LOT has happened in four years. The year she was in a coma and the three years she was here.

She had practically begged Zelretch to send her back, if only to save Gaara before she goes back to Mifune City. She came to the Land of Rivers and was literally dropped in front of Deidara and Sasori.

'Whoa, who is this chick?!' Deidara sputtered out as the blonde girl dressed like a cowgirl(Tifa's outfit in Crisis Core without the hat) came out of a black hole that opened outta the blue...and started her offense. In fact, she attacked them in a berserker speed armed with just two kunai, forcing both of them to fight back while Naruto made sure they can barely move against her.

And her Mystic Eyes are activated. She killed Deidara first by stabbing his biggest line in his chest, causing him to die in pieces to Sasori's disbelief while she took the unconscious Gaara away from the two men, shoving in as much Mana as she could draw from the air using a Formalcraft Spell to do so in hopes to revive him after exhaustion. But he's still out of it so she maintained the spell that absorbs Mana in the air to flow into Gaara to restore his energy to wake him up and help her out if he could while Healing him at the same time.

"She just stabbed him...!" he thought incredulously at his fallen partner who's now just meat pieces. "Yet he's in pieces! How did she do it?!" he knew he had to take out the big guns, after she destroyed Hiruko, his puppet shell, forcing the real him to come out.

Naruto was surprised to see a...young boy? A cutie at that!

'...you're a kid?' she gasped out in a deadpan voice.

'Hehe...who wants to grow old anyway?' Sasori snorted. 'Art is eternal...thus so shall beauty be.' he said in a patronizing manner. 'And you're just as beautiful...and your eyes are exquisite like jewels...' he noted her activated eyes. '...do you want to join my collection?'

'Hell no, I'm not into getting inducted in a harem!' Naruto snarked out. 'Moreover, Single is better than Occupied!' the redhead just raised an eyebrow.

'Er...I don't mean Harem,' he said with a twitch before getting a scroll out of his pockets and unrolled it to reveal the kanji for **3**. 'I meant, my _Puppet Collection_.' and out came a puppet that eerily looks almost human, if not for the obvious parts.

'I think you and Touko-sensei will get along well splendidly...that's a nearly-human-like puppet.' Naruto whistled, wide-eyed in amazement. 'Although it needs some more work...sensei got herself in trouble for creating a puppet body that's exactly like a human body...making it very indistinguishable from a real human body, bleeding and all...complete with realistically synthetic body parts. That thing is still primitive looking.' she commented thoughtfully, making jabs at Sasori's craftsmanship in comparison to that, of Touko's.

'Hooo? Then what if I told you that this thing...is originally human before he became a puppet?' Sasori asked her with a chilly smile as he geared up the puppet with his strings and started his attack. The puppet shot out its arm and the arm split apart to reveal seals hidden in the split parts...and out came a shower of puppet arms that she violently cut through with her kunai reinforced with energy blades formed at the kunai blade itself as she spun in circles in order to cut, and even avoided the rope darts made of a kunai tied to ropes around its finger grip by jumping up.

'You're pretty good, girl.' Sasori praised her as she did a back flip to land properly on her feet. 'But that's not all...' the puppet's mouth opened and out came something black. 'This guy was once known as Sandaime Kazekage...the strongest of them all.'

'A human puppet...and it can clearly use jutsu...' Naruto mused as she could see the lines of destruction on the puppet's black sand. 'That's not something puppets can do...'

'Yet I managed.' Sasori grinned. 'I meant it when I said 'human puppet'. It caused me one hell of an effort to add him to my collection that's why I like him most.' the sand began forming into balls. 'Can you dodge this?' and it rained black bullets at her, but she managed to block it with an energy barrier.

'Whoopsie! You gotta do better than that!' Naruto grinned. iron Sand is poisonous but as long as she has two energy stores to back her up along with her knowledge, she'll be fine. Besides, this, is exciting her. Seriously. It was a battle between majutsu and puppets.

'You better be careful what you wish for, girl.' Sasori grinned as the sand shaped into dangerous objects, 'Don't you know you're tempting fate right now?' he them caused a rain of spikes that she skillfully dodged yet she got nicked in many places. 'Hah!'

'Bah! Fate schmate!' Naruto snorted. 'I don't believe in fate! Stuff happens based on decisions you make! The future is never predetermined without the actions of the present!' then she started to feel terrible as in each nicks she got, something was spreading. 'Wha?' "Iron Sand can't be THIS poisonous!" she thought as she looked at him in disbelief. 'Don't tell me...'

'Of course I mixed poison in it. My own formula. Hehehehe...' Sasori chuckled in amusement. 'Like I told that boy I met earlier...it'll cause you hellish pain before you die after three days.'

'Grrr...I should have known better.' Naruto scowled as she stabbed herself in the nicks to destroy the poison in her body, earning herself an odd look from the redhead, apparently baffled by what she did...and her wounds closed.

'So you're a medical ninja.'

'Not really...let's just say I have my way around poisons.' Naruto grunted. 'I should step up my game, shall I?' she mused thoughtfully as she charged herself up with her lightning magic. "I should have realized it for some time that everytime I cut the sand, My kunai are getting attracted like magnet...that means the iron sand has magnetic properties. I have a way around that!' Her hair and eyes glowed like neon lights as her short hair spiked up. Her skin also glowed and electricity surged around her arms.

'I'll step up my game too since my usual style isn't working. And to think my usual was my favorite. Honestly.' she said as she fired a powerful lightning blast at the sand, and messed up it's magnetic properties, distorting it and the sand constructs fell apart. She also destroyed the puppet into pieces.

'So you got even that...now I want you even more to replace him.' Sasori removed his cloak to reveal that he too, is a puppet, making her eyes bulge. 'How long has it been...since I last used 'myself'?' He even has dangerous limbs on his back that has four blades each that can clearly spin, a stinger in the empty and open stomach cavity connected to a cable wire, a compartment in his right chest, and on the left, Naruto thought it to be his energy core. The line of his body is in the core. Now if only she can strike that...

'Tch...fine!' Sasori took out a scroll while at the same time, opening the right compartment in his chest to let out hundreds of chakra strings, each attached to...a hundred puppets. 'I'll take out my big guns as well...and to think I'm forced to take my greatest technique out against a little girl...how the hell will I explain this when I get back,' he sighed in exasperation while palming his face. 'Aka Higi: Hyakki no Souen...let's see if you can last.' and a hundred puppets armed to the teeth rained down on her.

Naruto's expression said it all.

'Oh crap!' she even voiced it out as she had to mow her way through the puppets, fighting so many all at once while dodging attacks at the same time, using wind magic to remain in the air as she can't afford to fall for now, while fighting because she needed to draw the battle away from Gaara who is still quite out of it.

"Come on, wake up Gaara!" she moaned inwardly as she struggled to fight and destroy what she could. "Even I can't hold for long! Jeez, how much energy do you exactly need to wake up?!" With her stolen weapons, she destroyed what she could by following the lines and she spared no expense in defeating all 100, greatly impressing Sasori. However...she reached her own physical limits, Jinchuuriki be damned as she landed back on the ground, exhausted, very sweaty and gasping for air as her Lightning Mode, and her Mystic Eyes are turned off. Even her illusion fell apart. The illusion she used to hide her whiskered cheeks and the seal on her stomach. Sasori raised an eyebrow at the sudden exposure and then he realized it.

Based on information Akatsuki has about Jinchuuriki...

'Looks like it took my army to finally bring you to your knees. Replacing them using you will be a step to recovery at least.' he said. 'I think I'll ask Leader if I can have your body after extracting Kyuubi from you. You turned out to be Uzumaki Naruto hiding under Genjutsu to pass as a normal girl eh? Not that I blame you for that, exactly...' he laughed in amusement as he approached her. 'Now then, with two Jinchuuriki in my hands, at least I have a good excuse now even if I lost Deidara as a partner. Heheh.' he took out a poisoned blade to incapacitate her, but sand...stopped him. Both of them turned to see Gaara who is now awake.

'G-Gaara...' Naruto gasped out in relief.

'I'll take over from here Naruto.' said Gaara as he used sand to pull her away to safety. '...thank you.'

'Hehe...people like us should stick together while the world damned us all you know.' Naruto chuckled weakly. 'How are you feeling?'

'Never better.' he said. 'Rest. I'll handle this man.' he then faced Sasori who swore at this while Naruto succumbed to exhaustion.

"Great, one Jinchuuriki down and this one somehow recovered and woke up?!" he thought incredulously. "She didn't have time to heal him, so how?" With all of his puppets gone, he really has to use 'himself' for this and it'll be a bit...difficult. Gaara even utilized the Iron Sand strewn all over the battlefield and had the sand move to his will to fight to avoid Sasori and his poisoned weaponry and he is particularly grateful to his Sand Armor because the man is one hell of a fighter had he not been relying on his puppets. He crushed what he could beyond repair much to the man's ire...until he crushed his core...killing him.

'That's over.' he sighed as he walked towards Naruto and picked her up, bridal style. 'You saved me, I'll save you. I owe you another debt it seems.' he mused with a smile. Four years ago she had long hair but now she cut it short.

Naruto spared him four years ago because they were alike and she knew what it's like to be cursed with their fate. The loneliness. The scorn. The fear and hatred...nobody wanted them. She understood him but she really didn't exactly approve how he worked. Because his former ways just cement his people's beliefs about him while she lived and struggled to prove she's human and she learned how to love in order to be loved back.

She gave him a means to start over. And now she saved his life.

For now...it's his turn to protect her.

He will hide somewhere for now. Preferably...far away from here. At least until she wakes. Right now, they're a sitting duck. Especially her.

She killed the man who defeated him(out of Blackmail) and fought a hundred puppets on her own at the cost of her stamina that she burned out. He rested in a thicket, and moved the Earth with his sand to create a hiding place to hide themselves.

Then he could finally relax.

Now the problem is...how to get food while stuck here?

He used his Third Eye technique and have it look around as a scout high up in order not to be seen. He had no idea where he would be originally taken to and no idea if they're near there or not.

'Troublesome kids...' an old man spoke right outside his hiding place, causing Gaara to gasp in sheer fear while clutching Naruto closer. 'I'll take you near Sunagakure, shall I?'

Next thing Gaara knew, they were in Wind Country's desert landscape.

But at least here, it's safe. Sighing, he made his way home with Naruto in his arms. However, here's one thing he did not expect from the village guards...

'Gaara-sama has returned!'

'But by himself? But what about the rescue party made of Konoha Shinobi and Chiyo-baasama?!' Gaara gave them a look that demanded explanation. 'Gaara-sama, Tsunade-sama of Konoha sent Hatake Kakashi, Haruno Sakura and Nara Shikamaru to help in rescuing you and Chiyo-baasama joined them because Akasuna no Sasori is involved.' he explained. 'But...'

'A friend got to them and me first.' said Gaara, looking at the sleeping girl in his arms. 'I am back with her help. Send a messenger that there is no need and the must come back.'

'Yessir!'

It didn't take long for word to spread, of course.

xxx

Hospital, thirty minutes later...

'ARE YOU SERIOUS?!'

In the Hospital Room where Naruto was put in, the siblings, Baki and some Advisors gasped out from Gaara's tale.

'Naruto...defeated the blonde dude and a hundred of Sasori's puppets by herself?' Kankuro choked out weakly. 'A hundred poisoned puppets?'

'Yes.' said Gaara. 'However, her unusual exhaustion was because she was healing me and sending me chakra to revive me from my state. It was fortunate that I woke up to face Sasori myself as he really has no more puppets. He converted his body into a puppet and the only flesh and blood he has is in a container responsible for his chakra despite his puppet body. After destroying him, I hid in the forest and used sand to move the Earth to make a convincing Earth Mound to further hide us. Then outside not long after I constructed a safe place, an old man appeared outside. I could not see him, I could only hear him. He said he'll take us back to Sunagakure and next thing I know, from under that Earth Mound...we appeared not far from the village in a blink.' he finished his tale with that sentence.

'I see...and how is she?' Temari asked the medic nins who were checking on Naruto.

'Uzumaki-san has total chakra exhaustion Temari-sama. Not only that, she pushed herself really hard that she burned out, but being a Jinchuuriki, her muscles are slowly being healed by Kyuubi no doubt, but she's on her own in Chakra Exhaustion.' the medic explained. 'She also has traces of damaged tissue from poisoning but it's also being slowly healed. But what's baffling is, there's no poison in her body yet her body has damage caused by poison...she must have done something about it in order to keep fighting.'

'As for Gaara-sama, he is completely healed.' the medic continued. 'There's nothing to be worried about.'

'Most likely.' Baki muttered. 'Send out messengers to Konoha and the Rescue Party! Gaara, we have to talk about village affairs for now.'

'That can wait.' said Gaara.

'But...'

'She watched over me. I shall watch over her. It's my turn now.' and in such a finalizing manner, they were clearly dismissed.


	4. Reunion

Reunion

That night after the return of the two Jinchuuriki to Sunagakure on their own, a Messenger Falcon reached Konoha, to Tsunade's Office itself.

She received an incredibly baffling letter from Baki.

Naruto who somehow heard the news from wherever she is got to Gaara first, and has single-handedly defeated Deidara the Mad Bomber of Iwagakure and a hundred and one of Sasori's puppet army before succumbing to exhaustion as she was at the same time, Healing Gaara and sending him half her chakra in hopes to revive him thus when she's at her limits' end, he revived just in time with full energy much to his disbelief to save themselves from Sasori himself who lost all his puppets, but he himself is also a puppet. Like any ninja would do, Gaara had destroyed Deidara's body which was in pieces when he saw it, brought home the heads, and what's left of Sasori's flesh core that enabled him to use limitless chakra despite his puppet body. That was his side of the story at least and they were all waiting for Naruto to wake up to hear her side.

Tsunade smiled at how much she's grown, if she could deal with that situation all by herself. She wondered how exactly, was she trained by this 'watcher' of hers despite Jiraiya claiming the credit as a cover-up.

xxx

It has been three days since the battle. Teams Kakashi and Gai who got the message had to deal with Kisame and Itachi who were tasked to stalling them and also found the site of the forest where Naruto and Gaara battled Deidara and Sasori.

They found blood in one spot with some of Gaara's sand in it while a plethora of destroyed puppets, sand and weapons are found scattered in the terrain, one of which was burnt. They even found the remains of Sasori's puppet body and everything was wrecked beyond repair.

Chiyo, Temporary Team Kakashi and Team Guy could not believe how strong Naruto had gotten if she could fight two by herself before burning out, and she was very lucky Gaara woke from her treatment for his timely rescue of her to finish off Sasori himself before the nukenin could nail her and bring them both to Akatsuki. However, one puppet was burned...and since Iron sand was strewn all over the place, they brought that particular puppet home since it was the source of Iron sand...while the old woman had a baaad feeling about this.

And a day after they left, because Deidara and Sasori are so late, Pain sent Zetsu to look for them, only to find remains of a battlefield and what was obvious, so they sent a spy in Sunagakure to get information...

In the meantime, upon autopsy, much to the horror of the Village Council, the Puppet turned out to be a Human Puppet...of the missing Sandaime Kazekage whose disappearance launched the Third War. And he was the strongest in Sunagakure's History and Naruto defeated _this_? Moreover the already poisonous sand was enhanced by Sasori's personal formula and judging by the injuries in Naruto and Kankuro's body, it was the same poison.

And Gaara was guarding her with vigil in her hospital room, and he eventually had to leave once the Konoha Ninja took their turn to watch her while he went back to his office, confident that she will be safe with them.

'She's grown so much in Jiraiya-sama's training.' Kakashi mused, clearly proud of the blonde.

'Yeah...she's probably Genin in just rank now.' Shikamaru snorted. 'She's a Jounin by standards.'

'Yeah but...' said Sakura sadly as she looked at Naruto's sleeping form. 'She cut her long hair off.' she choked out, noting that her teammate now had short hair. Shorter than hers by an inch, barely a chin length in fact. Her hair is parted from the right with strands framing her face.(Kairi's Hairstyle in KHII but chin-length version)

'So?' Tenten shrugged. 'Everyone wants a haircut once in a while.' Sakura shook her head grimly.

'It's not that.' Sakura said. 'Naruto grew her hair long just like Ino and I did because Sasuke-kun likes girls with long hair and in the end, he chose her.' all of them made a face. The words were far deeper than that. 'And Sasuke-kun...he would often play with her hair in their time together. Out of three of us girls, she has the longest hair long before we discovered in the Academy that he likes girls with long hair.'

'That means she's serious.' said Shikamaru softly. 'She cut off her hair, a symbol of her bond with him for emphasis. She really will kill him for his betrayal. She loved him and yet...I wonder how she has been these past three years. She's a changed woman for sure...and hell hath no fury a woman scorned.'

Kakashi was depressed by this revelation. His team was a crazy love triangle affair yet Naruto lucked out when Sasuke chose her and not Sakura. He had to deal with a broken hearted and bitter pinkette while Sasuke and Naruto became a known couple after the Chuunin Exams and began dating...only to learn that half the time spent together is worth nothing.

His former student broke her heart and she now wants revenge for his betrayal. His students...will kill each other next time they meet.

He was broken up about it and bar nights revealed how depressed he was to his peers. There's a knock on the door that disturbed him out of his musings. 'Come in.' said Gai...only for Jiraiya to come in.

'How is she?' he asked them as his eyes fell on Naruto. 'Still asleep huh?' he sighed gloomily, as he occupied a vacant chair.

'Yeah. But she's recovering nicely, she should wake soon.' said Sakura. 'Probably in a few more hours. This dummy pushed herself that she's _this_ bad.' she snorted while shaking her head. 'Did you teach her Medical Ninjutsu? Gaara said he found himself healed and full of chakra when he woke up.'

'I didn't, she learned it from someone else since she got interested.' Jiraiya fibbed out. 'However, being a you-know-what, her chakra control is hopeless, so she created her own technique that enabled her to do so without the dangers caused by shoddy control. She creates medical chakra and injects it into the body instead and then spread it where affected areas are while also replenishing the target's chakra to compensate for the overpowered jutsu. While we thought it wouldn't work...well, it did.' he chortled...unknowingly being manipulated by Zelretch. 'She got an earful from the old dude for experimenting on herself though. Because she did it without expert supervision since at the time we went out drinking, he was royally pissed and made her kneel on rock salt and pebbles for six hours in a corner as punishment.'

All of them can imagine that now.

Six hours kneeling on rock salt and pebbles? Yep, her teacher's pissed.

Sakura twitched at this with three pulsing ticks on her head.

'Any medic worth their salt would be pissed.' she ground out. 'You don't experiment without an expert to supervise you!' she cried shrilly in annoyance.

'So loud...' all heads turned to Naruto who woke up. 'Loud as ever Sakura.'

'You IDIOT!' and Sakura yelled at her ear that made Naruto go ("(O.O)") 'You don't experiment with ninjutsu, dumbass!'

'Mendokusee na, if you don't experiment, how will you know if it'll work or not?' the blonde grumbled. 'At least I experiment on _myself_, unlike _some people_ I can name!'

'That's NO excuse!'

'Maa maa...at least it saved her and Gaara's hide.' said Neji. 'That means it really works.'

'How has it been, Naruto?' Kakashi asked his blonde student who he hasn't talked to in four years...with good reason. Coma and then she's gone for three years, making her sixteen this year and she grew up to be quite the beauty.

'Oh...it's been fun.' Naruto grinned ferally. 'Loads and loads of fun.'

'Now then, what about your side of the story?' Gai asked her. 'We heard Gaara's side, since he took over to fight Sasori, so...'

'Well, the blonde one was too damn easy to kill. Is he really an S-Class Criminal?' Naruto scoffed incredulously. 'I can only guess he's a long-range specialist since he sucks in close combat I thought countries misranked him but at least Sasori has the skills to back up his S-Rank status. He's a pain in the ass. Ons string per puppet and he just rained a hundred on me after using the Sandaime Kazekage on me...jeezus.' he shuddered. 'I'm real glad I studied hard in combat and evasion skills or he'd be bringing home two, not one.'

'Did he tell you about Human Puppets?' Shikamaru asked her, after knowing how it horrified Sunagakure about the burnt puppet they brought home.

'Yeah. I don't know how he did it but by turning a human into a puppet, they retain their chakra and kekkei genkai, I really had trouble with it. Not to mention it's poisonous...' Naruto griped out. 'It helps that I know Lightning Jutsu to mess up the magnetic properties of the puppet's chakra that enabled him to lethally use that Iron Sand.'

'You know Lightning Jutsu?' Kakashi's eyes widened.

'Yeah. I'm a Wind-type but little in Lightning.' Naruto shrugged. 'But I only have one because my talent in Lightning is _that_ little, highly overshadowed by my Wind affinity and Wind cancels Lightning right? I'd show you but I'm still out of it, but it still saved my ass from the Iron Sand.'

'I see. So you developed new things. Good work.' Jiraiya nodded approvingly. But it also gave away that he didn't know about that.

'You mean you didn't teach her that?' Sakura asked him incredulously.

'Heck no. I only gave her the leg ups she needed and combat training that I oversaw personally.' said Jiraiya in his fibbing mode. 'To be your own ninja, you have to create your own jutsu arsenal because unpredictability saves our asses in battles more often, while being predictable will get us killed. And Naruto's greatest talent is her unpredictability and her ability to surprise, so I had her keep her skills secret even to me.' he grinned goofily as in reality, he knows nothing at all! 'Well, she told you what she could. The rest of her skills should stay secret. Especially considering who's after her and Gaara.' everybody agreed and Naruto was glad she don't have to talk anymore. 'So, is your employment done now?'

This took everyone by surprise. She's employed? By who?

'Nah, not yet.' Naruto shrugged. 'One more year to go actually and then my contract is over. I'll go home after that with shitloads of souvenirs.' she said. 'I'll stay here for one more week just to be sure and after that, I'll go back to my employer.' she told them. 'Besides, I still have lots to learn and I'm not done yet. So I hope the old granny will let me out for a bit longer.'

'But what about Akatsuki?' Jiraiya frowned worriedly but Naruto laughed.

'Where I'm staying at, I'm out of their reach!' Naruto laughed happily in a haughty noblewoman pose. And where she's staying at? In another frigging world. 'I'm perfectly safe! I can even streak out in the streets if I want with my seal exposed and they won't find me!' collective sweatdrops ensued.

'Right...so you'll be staying here for a week to be double sure that they won't go after Gaara again?' Jiraiya mused as the blonde nodded.

'Yeah, so...' she held out her hand to Jiraiya. 'Spending money please.'

Jiraiya facefaulted and everyone went chibi.

'Don't you have your own money?!'

'I spent it on travel expenses, dumbass!'

The truth is, Naruto really didn't even have a cent for this world and all she had were foreign money on her that's worthless in this world.

xxx

'So you'll be here for a week longer before going back to your Contract Employer.' Gaara mused as the Konoha Shinobi went to talk to him in his office.

'Yeah,' said Naruto. 'Before I go back, I'll make sure they won't come back for at least a week before I go back. I already told the old pervert to tell the old hag for me. Oh, and here.' she gave two photos to Kakashi. A 2x2 photo and a full body photo of herself in a white background...while wearing a high school uniform. Here, her hair is already cut short in her current hairstyle. 'For record update purposes.'

'Oh OK...' Kakashi took the photos into his pockets. 'I guess it'll be another year before I see you again.'

'Pretty much.' said Naruto with a slight smile.

'But there's things I want to see.' Kakashi told her. 'Kazekage-sama, do you have a training ground we can use? I want to see how much Naruto grew up before we part ways again.'

'Very well.' said the young Kazekage as he stood up. 'I'll take you there personally as it's something I also wish to see with my own eyes.'


	5. Absolute Defense

Absolute Defense

Outside Sunagakure...

Gaara, Team Kakashi and Gai's pupils can only stare in disbelief.

Why?

Naruto showed how good she is in combat great enough to defeat a hundred-and-one puppet army that forced Gai to open up six of his gates, and Naruto retaliated by going Lightning Mode to match him speed for speed...

'Holy cow...' Kakashi croaked with his visibly comically blank eye. 'What an improvement!'

'And she really does have a Lightning Technique.' Neji remarked, activating his Byakugan to see how it works. 'The Lightning Chakra that she's flowing around her body greatly augments her speed, reflexes and reaction time as well.'

'Yeah but isn't it kinda flashy?' Tenten whistled, impressed. 'She's like a living neon nightlight!' she commented, noting the neon-ish glow the blonde is sporting. Glowing, spiky hair, blue eyes, even her skin was glowing except for her clothes, while occasionally making lightning sparks around her body.

'Well, she did defeat Sasori's army by herself, didn't she?' Gaara spoke in a deadpan voice while sweatdropping as he watched on, baffled by the huge leap in improvements. Last time he fought her, she was clumsy and terribly lacking in skill and was even incompetent by brawler standards. And _look at her **now**_. 'Alright, enough!' he barked out a command as the two stopped and looked at him and dispelled their super-modes. 'That was a great fight, you two.' he said. 'And how you've grown, Naruto.' Naruto grinned sheepishly with a blush at the praise. This coming from Gaara who became Kazekage of all things.

'Heehee~! Thanks~!' she chirped happily before calling Sakura to heal Gai's muscles. Sakura asked if Naruto's OK and she said yes as her super-mode she has yet to name wouldn't harm her body at all. Just that, she has 'time issues' with it and wait for 'cooldown' for her to return to normal as in her supermode, she's moving extremely fast while also having to deal with speedy visual motion it was annoying and she's slightly dizzy from it.

'We'll definitely have to update your records.' Kakashi deadpanned. He also wondered how much Sasuke improved in Orochimaru's...care. And he could clearly see how hard she worked...for her revenge. Gai was pushed hard to use six of his eight gates but this match is most likely nothing compared to her battle with two Akatsuki. He also thought that she would have won both fights if she wasn't juggling both the fight and protecting/healing Gaara at the same time.

He wondered how the grapevine will react because she clearly insulted Deidara's credibility as an S-Rank Nukenin and thought of him as a joke though. Because the guy was a long-range specialist, he sucked at fighting thus was easily killed by her while Sasori was worthy of his rank in both long-range and close-range.

But if this goes out, that means bigger guns will be sent after her. Hoo, boy.

xxx

'So any idea where Naruto's going to, Hokage-sama?' Kakashi asked Tsunade curiously.

'No idea, but she DID send pictures of the place, but she never named the location of the village or what country it's in.' she said as she showed Kakashi the photos and he looked at them one by one. 'And she'll be there for a year or she'll finish quicker if she could. She also promised loads of souvenirs, so I'm actually looking forward to her real return home.' she sighed wistfully. 'I wonder what she'll bring home for us, neh~?'

'Well, that's one thing to look forward to but I hope she's not THAT loose with money.' Kakashi choked worriedly. 'She's totally broke, she asked Jiraiya-sama for money since she spent it all on 'expenses'.'

'Meh, it must be very far.' Tsunade shrugged. 'It's a clearly advanced culture over there. The school pictures alone screams volumes as it is.' she remarked thoughtfully. 'She even did fun things...and last I heard, she had Jiraiya tell the Inuzuka to make room...loads of room for what she'll bring over when she gets back. Makes me wonder what she has in store.'

xxx

In a dark cave somewhere, seven shadows gathered.

'So Deidara and Sasori are both defeated and the Ichibi retrieved?' the one with ringed eyes mused thoughtfully.

'Yes.' said a figure within what seems to be a mouth lined with sharp spikes.

'Who defeated them?' another asked him.

'From what I'm hearing, the Kyuubi got to Deidara and Sasori first before the search party did.'

'Kyuubi...haven't heard that name in four years.' the tallest one remarked thoughtfully.

'Be quiet Kisame.' said the man with ringed eyes. 'Continue, Zetsu.'

'Yes...they say that Kyuubi easily killed Deidara with hardly any effort but she had one hell of a trouble with Sasori because she was both juggling healing the Ichibi and fighting him. Otherwise she would have also killed him but Ichibi did the job after she trashed his favorite Sandaime Kazekage puppet and his Hyakki Souen.'

'Hardly any effort? Ouch!' a man with a bladed staff cackled. 'So much for his reputation! He went out like a pussy!'

'Language!'

'Nonetheless, the order must be followed. We have acquired Yonbi and Gobi. Ichibi must be next.'

'Who'll go next then? We all have our assigned jobs, right?' Kisame piped up.

'Itachi, Kisame, the Kyuubi is your task. She's most likely near the Ichibi and you may have to fight her to get to him.' the ringed eyed man spoke. 'Go.' two of the shadows vanished.

xxx

Sunagakure...

'I c-certainly don't envy you guys...' Naruto shivered from the cold that night while staying with the siblings in their home, and she's wearing long sleeves and cotton tights. 'Oven-toaster heat by day but a freezer at night? Isn't this a little bit too extreme?' she asked them shakily while grateful for the warm meals if only to combat the ridiculous cold just a little.

'Meh, we grew up in it so we all adapted to it.' said Kankuro with a nonchalant shrug. 'But nobody likes Sunburn so we cover up a lot during the day too. So why are you staying a week longer?'

'Well, I'll create a security barrier around the village, you see.' said Naruto. 'That way Akatsuki and whoever they send can't get into the village. It'll take a week to make because I'll also be including a vast space outside the village so it doesn't feel cramped. So in the meantime, Gaara should do a thorough house-cleaning.'

'House...cleaning?' Gaara asked her with a puzzled, baffled expression. He's still a long way off in regards to socializing and euphemisms and such.

'She means check out if we have spies, sleeper spies and moles within the village posing as one of us or our civilians, grill them good then kick them out before she finishes construction.' Kankuro explained. 'That way our village will be pest-free.'

'We'll start tomorrow then.' said Gaara. He really didn't want to get kidnapped _again_. 'But you're a target too so I'll have you get around with an escort who will act as a messenger to warn us of any encounter so we can reinforce you. Tomorrow...Sunagakure will be on lockdown!' he said seriously.

'We'll be busy. Veeery busy.' Temari shuddered at all the checking they have to do.

Indeed, all of them got very busy...after Gaara dropped quite the bombshell on the Council. Because Council Member Yura and another guy turned out to be Sleeper Agents, the whole village is in lockdown mode and everyone is to immediately stock up their food, water and toiletry to last a few days, lock up their houses and stay home while the shinobi will be checked first, before the civilians. Until then, they are NOT to let ANYONE in until Gaara lifts Lockdown.

In the meantime, Naruto was escorted by Baki and two others as she did her job with her clones, making barrier formulas that were 200 meters away from Sunagakure and the formulas would encircle the village.

'Uzumaki-san, will this really work?' Baki wondered aloud.

'Yep. Considering who's after our asses, we do have to do something, right? We can't let Akatsuki do this to us.' Naruto piped up as she flared both her chakra and od. 'Uh I think I'll be knocked out again after this, so somebody cart my sorry self to the hospital afterwards!' she grinned sheepishly as she activated the massive barrier she constructed using both powers and she didn't spare any expense as the Jounin cringed at the powerful energies released to create it. She wasn't number nine for nothing.

This was the sight Itachi and Kisame came to when they were some meters away from the group and felt the immense, sublime power created when Naruto combined her chakra, along with almost all of her od and the mana in the air proportional to what amounts she had of the first two, effectively synthesizing a new power. Both of them couldn't believe it.

'...well, I'll be.' Kisame whistled upon seeing the barrier's construction. 'I'd say we came a bit late, Itachi-san and that's an understatement.' his voice startled the daylights out of the Suna shinobi who gasped upon seeing them and braced themselves for battle until Naruto was done with the barrier.

'She's collapsed!' Baki cried. 'Run back for the village!' and they picked up the unconscious girl and they ran for it. The two followed, only to be blown away by the barrier's force, thrown off and fell in an undignified heap. They were just grateful that there's no witnesses or their reputation's shot.

'Ow!' Kisame gasped out as the barrier was an unusual color, before disappearing. 'Hey it's gone. Let's try this again.' they went to go to Suna for their quarry, only to be blown back again.

'...I think it's for the better if we hunt the others first.' said Itachi in a deadpan voice. 'We'll get nowhere and just be...embarrassed over and over.' Kisame groaned.

'And we haven't had dinner and breakfast...we'll miss lunch too?' Kisame whined unhappily. 'We really should get paid more. We're not paid enough for this.'

'...shut up.' was all Itachi could say...while inwardly grateful that...

He can stall a bit while longer.

However, he hissed in pain while rubbing the place where the end of his spine should be. 'Looks like you fell wrong on your ass if you're smarting like that, Itachi-san.' Kisame remarked and raised his hands in surrender sheepishly from the smoldering, petulant glare the younger man gave him.

xxx

'A barrier?'

'Yeah, we can't get in no matter what we try.' said Kisame. 'Now what?'

'...the rest of us will try.' said a woman's voice.

'And if we still can't get in...can we really ignore the order?' Itachi asked them.

'I suppose so but it'll make it harder to control.' said the ringed-eyed man. 'Zetsu, Hidan, Kakuzu...go.' three other shadows disappeared while Itachi and Kisame are also gone.

'...Nagato, what now?' the woman asked the ringed-eyed man she referred to. 'He's not going to like this.'

'So do I. While he has his own ideas...we have ours. And it's **our** plan we should follow Konan.' said Nagato firmly. 'For the sake of the world. We will teach them the fear of war.'

'...sou ne. This is just a minor setback.' they too, disappeared.

Days later, Zetsu, Hidan and Kakuzu met the same fate as Itachi and Kisame. Zetsu couldn't even burrow underground to the village, causing the Akatsuki quite some problems, forcing them to give up on the Ichibi for the time being.

And Gaara would be safe in the next few months.

xxx

Konoha...

Tsunade was baffled for the second time.

Naruto created a giant barrier to keep out anyone who wishes ill intent on Jinchuuriki/Sunagakure or working for Akatsuki while everyone else can come and go. And it took a week to make and she's in the hospital again since she used incredibly great power that was described to be 'sublime' and felt by the whole village when they got back and heard of it. However...the result of the usage of so much power somehow caused a mutation in the blonde.

Her hair that used to be blonde became an unnatural bright crimson color. And they needed her permission to check if other things changed, forcing her to send Shizune and Sakura to Suna at full speed to assist in the checking. Upon acquiring a photo of the changes in hair color...Tsunade knew they have to...come out eventually. Naruto doesn't know yet the truth about her family to protect her but now...she's strong enough to know.

As her two students left, she has one pervert to locate and kick his ass to Suna.

'Oh man, what has she gotten into this time?' Sakura bemoaned as when they got to the hospital, they saw the changes. 'She always goes overboard.'

'Well, she wouldn't be Naruto otherwise since she always gives it all she's got.' said Temari. 'But can a jutsu overuse really change one's DNA? We also do that just so we won't get killed in the field and yet nothing like it ever happened to us.'

'She's the first one to have this happen, I'd say she's Patient Zero.' Shizune said wryly. 'It'll take a lot of brainstorming to do and we need all smarts we can get to figure her case out. This is baffling!' she moaned out as the medics extracted bits of her hair and blood. 'We'll be working overtime on this case for sure.'

In his office, Zelretch watched.

'Combining chakra, od and mana to create a powerful Bounded Field...only you indeed.' Zelretch chuckled while watching the show through his magic. 'The most Surprisingly Unpredictable Person indeed. You have just created a great defense field any Ancestor would kill to have. I know I would! With the knowledge you created, you'd make a splendid First-Rate had you actually belonged in my world.' he then took a deep breath.

'Now then...I wonder what they'll find out?' he cackled.

Overuse of magic can cause mutations.

Just ask Aozaki Aoko.


	6. Despair and Hope

A:N- Whoa-hey! This isn't a god-like Naruto. The power in the last chapter is a result of mixing chakra, od and mana synthesizing a new power while using Magecraft to create a Bounded Field that can never be destroyed by Akatsuki and Naruto in Canon is known for making recklessly wacky but workable ideas out of the blue. This is to protect Gaara from methods used by Akatsuki who can definitely breach barriers made of chakra using whatever means. And no, this is only temporary. I repeat, this isn't god-Naruto or Fifth Magic Naruto, OK?

* * *

Despair and Hope

Jiraiya arrived in Suna three days later at his full speed, after hearing of the baffling case from Tsunade.

Naruto's physiological make-up changed just because of jutsu overuse? No way! Almost everyone thrice her age did so and yet nothing happened to them! Jinchuuriki included! Upon arrival, he booked a hotel room before meeting Gaara.

'So what brings you to Suna, Jiraiya?' Gaara asked the older man. 'Naruto aside of course.'

'Well...it depends on what results Shizune and Sakura gleaned.' Jiraiya said rather wearily. 'Tsunade chucked me here with some files sensei...her predecessor left behind using his monkey summons Konohamaru inherited.' he said. 'If the results came out...we decided that it's time for her to know the truth about her heritage. And she's strong enough for it too.'

'How can her heritage be that bad?' Kankuro frowned at this.

'It's bad enough that two villages destroyed a country out of fear and desire.' said Jiraiya wryly to their disbelief. 'That's about before the Third Wars happened. The survivors of the clan scattered in hiding.'

'Holy...so her parentage came from that?' Temari's eyes bugged out. None of them could imagine how can a country be THAT bad that warranted countries ganging on them.

'At least her mother is.' said Jiraiya. 'Her mother is one of the survivors. And because Kyuubi is too powerful for any other human to be its Jinchuuriki, only people from that country and their descendants whose incredible life force can survive being its Jinchuuriki. They are the Uzumaki...all of whom possess unusual red hair and icy blue eyes, at least until they intermarried with the Senju Clan of Konoha due to their long years of friendship back in the Warring States Era. That's why the symbol of Konoha is a leaf with a swirl in the middle.' he explained.

'I see...so Naruto is indeed from a clan.' Gaara mused thoughtfully. 'But why doesn't she know of her parentage? Surely she can keep a secret.'

'Well, sensei didn't say a thing.' Jiraiya sighed. 'Naruto grew up knowing nothing thus, while living the miserable life of a Jinchuuriki with nothing to cling to before she became Genin. She was all alone. And I'm her godfather yet I can't go near her that much or outsiders will make the connection since I'm close to her parents. If I reveal the truth to her...well, let's just say that I'll be shacking in your hospital in the next few days.' he said with a grimace.

'She will beat you up real good for sure.' said Kankuro wryly with absolute certainty and deadpan expression. 'I suppose you can shack in our hospital if she does. You deserve it anyway.'

Jiraiya sulked.

Gaara sighed.

'Yare yare...' he scratched his head.

xxx

The hospital, four days later...

Jiraiya had given Shizune the Medical Records and DNA Samples the Sandaime hid with his Monkey Summons, and what's in it greatly shocked Tsunade's pupils.

'N-no way...just...no way!' Sakura gasped out, her eyes bulging as they looked at the records that revealed a bombshell of a truth. 'But why?'

'Sensei made it a secret.' said Jiraiya. 'Only I and Tsunade, the other two living people who know of her parentage besides sensei and now the two of you. What's the results of the DNA Testing before we involve these samples?'

'Well...we'll use Naruto's original sample to begin comparison but...' Shizune choked out. 'Then with bits of Yondaime-sama, Uzumaki Kushina and Naruto's original DNA, we can surely come up with something! It'll take us quite a while so come back again in two days!'

'Right...' Jiraiya kept what's left of the samples and left the hospital, leaving them to work, while wondering about his goddaughter's fate. He has every right to worry after all. He visited Naruto who's in the hospital, quite awake and fresh from the bath. 'Naruto!' he noted her eyes. The eyes she got from her father were unusually bright.

'Oh, hi Ero-sennin.' Naruto greeted. 'What are you doing here?'

'Well, Tsunade got very worried after Baki sent quite the worrying news.' said Jiraiya. 'Your physical body changed from jutsu overuse yet while everyone long before you had done that, you're the first person this happened to, effectively making you Patient Zero of this case. Suna's hospital assisted by Shizune and Sakura are cracking the case while you're sleeping. How are you feeling?'

'Well, I'm not too sure I like my new dye job.' Naruto grumbled as she looked at her new hair color in the middle. 'Will anyone recognize me at all?'

'Well, when we bring photos over, they would...but the Clans will have a field day about this.' said Jiraiya. 'And this will force Tsunade and I to tell the truth about you.' Naruto frowned at this.

'Truth...about me?'

Back in Earth...Zelretch cringed. Even he knew this will be nasty.

Jiraiya told Naruto of the history of Uzu no Kuni, Uzushio and the truth of the Uzumaki Clan and it's relationship with Konoha and Kyuubi after the villages are founded by the Shodai Kages and who bore Kyuubi before she did. And then the History of her Parents that Sandaime had to hide because her heritage would bring more danger to her than being a Kyuubi Jinchuuriki would...even if it meant never knowing who her family is.

This enraged the new redhead as Jiraiya predicted, until he added that this was Sandaime's biggest regret as he caused her the most pain long before she left the cradle as he knew how she wanted a family to go home to because of her horrible treatment by the village. But in order to avoid war and the hunting of the Uzumaki Survivors he must protect, he hid her parentage. And as her godfather closely connected to her parents, he couldn't get near her much either and he had to stay away...despite knowing he also could never be with family. But now that she's strong enough, she could definitely survive after learning the truth.

This still earned him a punch that sent him flying, and Naruto was in no mood to talk to anybody and hid herself after fixing the damage in her hospital room.

xxx

'Honestly!' Shizune swore as she operated on Jiraiya's head to fix his caved-in face courtesy of an angry fist before healing with ninjutsu.

'Well, he expected this.' said Sakura, forced to do double-time with autopsy without Shizune. 'Naruto...she wanted family and love the most considering how she grew up. She isn't like us who grew up with happy families and childhoods. Unlike Gaara who at least has siblings and his village finally acknowledging him, Naruto doesn't have that luxury. Sure, she has us but what can few of us do against hundreds of people who are of still the opinion that she's...well...different? If more secrets come up...she'll probably get fed up and leave too...and the Naruto we worked so hard to change will go back to her old, dead self again.' she said in resignation.

'I guess we'll brace ourselves.' said Shizune. 'Too many betrayals already happened by people close to her. I'm getting worried.'

xxx

'Sulking, my friend?' On the steep cliffs surrounding Sunagakure, Naruto was sulking there and Gaara visited her. He found her curled up, hugging her knees with her face hidden because she was in total fetal position.

'It's not fair...' was what he heard from her and she was choking out her sobs. 'I wanted a family...I wanted to know the most if I was loved or if I was abandoned for being what I am even though it wasn't my fault...in the Orphanage, I grew up surrounded by the caretakers who were horribly harsh and hated me. They told the kids that I'm a bad girl even though I wasn't. They praised them for 'putting me in my place' when they bully me...and when I was six I was kicked out. I had nowhere to go...I met jiichan who gave me an apartment but the landlord overcharges me and people vandalize where I live...I can't even buy what I needed to live. Even in the orphanage I wasn't allowed to eat or drink normal food...they tell me that animals eat from the trash and they threw me out.'

'Nobody showed me a shred of kindness at all. I just smiled. I didn't want to let them know that they're getting to me.' Naruto continued. 'I did all I could to live but one day I was dying...not only from hunger and thirst but also from the beatings...jiichan saved me again. He introduced me to Ichiraku Ramen. Teuchi-jiichan and Ayame-neechan were kind to me...but because I ate there, nobody comes to them anymore. I was so upset and angry that I began pranking because it was all I could do...I began stealing and sneaking in to fill the Ichirakus' money box to make up for what I've done. The kindness they showed me was repaid by everyone's cruelty. I lived in the streets...my birthday gift every year is a beating by the whole village after chasing me around.'

'Then the Academy...the teachers are sabotaging me every chance they get. Even blaming me for things I didn't do and get kicked out of class. I was a dead last as a result after six years and I failed to graduate three times. I had no friends. No one...I isolated myself so I wouldn't ruin anyone's lives until I got tricked into stealing the Forbidden Scroll to pass. I thought that if I become Hokage...things would change...my _life_ would change, Genin is just the first step and I was desperate. All my life...to everyone I'm an animal. To the children around me I'm a bad child they can freely beat up on when their parents tell them to. They even get rewarded by sweets or trips outside town for beating me so they all enjoyed it. The only time I was saved by jiichan is on my birthdays...the rest? I'm on my own.'

Gaara shook in rage. He faced the same fate but at least his life was somewhat easier...his suffering could never compare to hers. He could only imagine the misery that was her life. Unlike him, she didn't have a defense. Unlike him, he had a home to go back to. And unlike him who had siblings who stayed even if they're afraid of him...she has no one.

'Then when I became a Genin...I asked who my parents are. I wanted to know if I was loved. But he always tells me that 'I'm not ready'. I gave up on him right then and there. I lost it. I didn't dare to trust anyone anymore. All I had that kept me going was my dreams. I couldn't even trust my team at first. I thought that Kakashi would be no different. And my teammates can freely beat me up anytime just to do their parents proud.' she sneered. 'I braced myself. I barely got by. The Genin Exam that tested teams about Teamwork...it was to each man his own but the true answer was teamwork and the bells were to trick us into fighting each other and be sure not to be the third who would fail. I didn't want to fail again and be sent back to the Academy again not too soon after graduating...but then I remembered. We were put into teams of three. Genin Teams are always four members...three Genin, one Jounin. And the answer to the exam was sacrifice.'

'So you chose to sacrifice yourself?' Gaara shakily voiced out.

'Yeah. Besides, nobody would even think of teaming up with me. My life was pain and solitude. I ended up surprising everyone when I removed my hitai-ate and offered to back down so the other two can pass. When Kakashi wanted an explanation...well, I practically told him my past. I decided in the end that they were no different and no better from anyone else. Sasuke and Sakura would just like be the kids who beat me up everyday just to have candy and go on fun trips with their parents and Kakashi is no different from the cruel teachers in the Academy so the test was like that. That team will fail because I was in it. That was the first time I lost hope. I ran off after that. Kage Bunshin came in handy because Kakashi chased after me. I managed to leave the village. I was successful. I kept running and running without stopping. I wanted to be free. I want to live in a place where I'm Uzumaki Naruto, a normal human girl. A place where people will be kind to me for a change. I ignored my hunger and thirst as usual. I kept running and running...until I could run no more. Pushed to my limits.'

'Next thing I know, I'm back in Konoha. In the Hospital. As if those days of running didn't happen at all. By my bedside was the Hokage and my team. I was brought back to hell again. They tried to talk to me with promises that things will get better but I stayed silent. My spirit was dead. There's nothing left to live for. There's nothing to hope for. Nothing. I just wanted to die. At least I'll have my parents in death. Nobody would tell me anything after all. But to my surprise...Kakashi, Sasuke and Sakura didn't give up on me.'

'They stayed by me for almost two months. They showed me kindness...things I wanted. I thought it may be because that they needed a third member to function and if I took their hand, the kindness they showed me would be nothing but a dream. I didn't dare hope. Even the Hokage took to visiting. He tried to convince me to live again and pursue my dreams. But what dreams? They were just pointless hopes that will never come true. Time in Team 7 was hard. D-Ranks were hell as the client always tried to cheat us out of our pay because I was there or making things up so they can lower our pay. It was disgusting. They tried to reassure me things would get better but those were just empty promises. But somehow they wormed their way to my heart as due to what's happening, the Hokage had us take D-Rank Missions outside Konoha. Things got a little better. I was cautious in trusting again though...and managed to prove that they're truly kind to me. At least Kakashi and Sakura proved themselves. But Sasuke...' she choked out before shaking.

'Then...if it was, then why tell me that I should change and prove everyone wrong? That I too, have hope if even you have no hope?' Gaara asked her in disbelief. His past four years ago came back after Naruto defeated him in the invasion. She encouraged him to change because there are people who loved him even if they are scared of him.

'Because you have the chance we, the other eight can never have.' Naruto laughed bitterly. 'At least a fellow jinchuuriki has an opportunity I would never have and some others...and you succeeded. You became my hope that even we cursed children can become someone great. You had a chance. I wanted you to succeed and achieve...because unlike you...we're alone...while you have family who cares for you and they're a huge step...and now you're Kazekage. You're our hope Gaara...I wanted to protect the man you are now. And protect what you worked hard to achieve. You will become a beacon of hope for future Jinchuuriki if we, the current generation of misery and despair die. The example in Suna will slowly become contagious and one day, even future Jinchuuriki can smile and be happy. Things the present denied us. That's why...I'm protecting you and Suna. You're the path to a better future for children like us.' and she looked up at Gaara.

'I'll protect you and our dreams and hopes that lie in you. I'll kill all who stand in the way of that dream. Even if its my own village. I don't want Jinchuuriki to cry and die like we have. We suffered enough.'

'Naruto...' Gaara choked out at his younger friend who was smiling despite her puffy eyes and tear-stained face.. She pushed him to be who he is now because she saw hope in him. She placed her faith and trust in him. 'Stand.' he ordered and she did...for him to embrace her.

'Naruto...you don't have to hurt yourself anymore. Somewhere, someday...you'll reach the same place I have now. And someday, you'll find a man who truly loves you. He is near you for sure. Don't lose hope. It'll be a cruel irony that you have hope in me yet you have none for yourself. Don't stop hoping...don't stop dreaming...and don't give up. Keep fighting. If you fall...we will catch you and push you so you can keep fighting. You put great faith in me...and I'll put great faith in you.'

'Don't stop. Never look back. Keep moving forward.' he told her. 'One day, you'll be there. And one day...you'll live to smile again. This time, I want YOU to change. You have us by your side...your team...and my village.' Gaara reassured her. 'We will stand by your side. You're not alone anymore.' Naruto smiled shakily, her lips trembled before bursting into tears as Gaara hugged her again.

He could not bear to see the woman who changed his life be so broken. So...dead.

He hoped that someone in Konoha would give her a new life. Give her a reason to live and keep dreaming in order to achieve her dreams.


	7. Change

Change

Gaara spent the night looking after Naruto on that cliff.

She cried herself to sleep. Just like four years ago when her lover's betrayal hit home when she woke up and forced herself to sleep again when she woke after a year of Coma.

His sister once told him(in a bid to teach him to understand people) that if a boy is upset, they tend to brood and let it all out alone because boys don't want to show their weakness to anyone. But girls wanted reassurance and comfort from people who loves them before they could heal themselves with the help of the people they were close to.

But even the socially-inept him knew that he just barely managed to fix her. Barely.

He hated to see her like this. She changed his life for the better yet her own was downhill. He prayed that her team and Jiraiya could keep her head above the water. He had done all he could but when she leaves Suna, he cannot help her unless she came by. He picked her up and took her home, and put her in the Guest Room before going back to his office and deal with paperwork. But even then he had no will to work.

'I'm...hope...huh?'

Naruto saw him as hope. Hope for the future Jinchuuriki so they would never cry ever again. And all of them shed enough tears from heartbreak and it's not fair that only he managed to escape his fate. He wanted to change her, too.

He went to the Aviary to send a Falcon to Konoha, for Tsunade. He needed a little back-up. He had done what he could. The rest...is up to them if they truly cared for Naruto enough to give her hope to continue on living and learn how to be truly happy.

xxx

Tsunade received the Falcon that morning when she went to the office to start her day. She took the letter from Gaara...and upon reading his tale...

She knew that this was the last straw.

In a way...Naruto died and gave up on her dreams, while pushing for the one person she knew would succeed to succeed where she never could. She saw him as the future for children like themselves. She summoned the current generation Naruto's batch is in.

'You called for us, Hokage-sama?' Asuma asked Tsunade who looked grim.

'That face usually means things will go shit.' Shikamaru grimaced, noting the woman's expression.

'It would have, had the situation not been salvaged.' Tsunade grumbled. 'Team Kakashi aside, how do all of you know Naruto?'

'Naruto...' Kiba started out as the other rookies exchanged looks. They knew the truth about Naruto in the year she was in Coma...and how her life was as a result.

'She was always everyone's target in the Academy.' said Ino. 'Everyone, even the older years bullied her.'

'The teachers are unreasonable when it came to her.' said Kiba. 'We can't do a thing when the older years are involved...especially the sensei until Iruka-sensei became the teacher. Unlike teachers who are unreasonable and let the kids bully her, he would stop them.'

'...her eyes are dead.' said Shino. 'Like she gave up on the world.'

'I-it was so wrong...' Hinata shook. 'We never understood why is everyone like that. She's a dead last because of the teachers. They were cruel and unfair.'

'She hardly knew anything. Only the barest of basics.' said Kakashi. 'That's why my team and I had to home-school her. She can't even spell her name right when we started.'

'That damn old man...' Tsunade swore. 'He caused so much damage to one person in twelve freaking years...and not long ago, the Monkey Summons gave us the go to tell Naruto the truth about her family. And according to the letter Gaara sent me, she nearly killed Jiraiya as his face was caved in...and she cried the whole night last night. She was on the verge of breaking apart and Gaara barely managed to save her from being completely broken by the cruelty of Konoha. I'm pretty sure all of you know the truth of October 10.'

'Yeah.' said Ino. 'It's just...' she grimaced. 'Wrong.'

'We only knew that when we rescued Gaara-san.' said Lee. 'Tenten, Neji and I didn't know until sensei told us.'

'So the truth...was too much for her.' Kurenai mused. 'Is it something so horrible like, her parents were idiots and left her for what she is?'

'Fortunately no...but parents in question has a lot of enemies outside the village.' said Tsunade. 'Sensei justified it by thinking, Konoha makes her suffer as it is, he didn't want outsiders to join in on the fray when the truth leaks out. Her mother has a tragic background and her father did Konoha a great service while earning loads of enemies at the same time. But even I thought he handled the situation poorly.' she said bitterly. 'He could have told Naruto. Children can definitely keep secrets. Every abused child can keep secrets yet he denied her closure and she lived in years wondering if they're just like the fucktards out in the streets.' she grunted. 'And then there's her godfather who was forbidden to go near her in fear of the connection being made. He was her only hope of family yet sensei forbade him from going near her. The result is the current Naruto you all know four years ago...and up to the present date.'

'Gaara barely managed to fix her spirit, both spiritually and emotionally. Ironic considering how he used to be.' Tsunade sighed. 'Should Naruto return to Konoha someday...he asked us that we continue where he left off as he's in another country. He hoped that we can restore her faith in humanity, her hopes to live as a normal person and be treated like one...if we fail...'

'If we fail?' Kakashi asked her in bated breath.

'She'll break in pieces.' said Tsunade sadly. 'Losing hope and faith in humanity...in life...for herself. Konoha has done a truly shitty and dishonorable way to honor the Yondaime's wish. Had he known how his village would treat Naruto...would he have sealed Kyuubi in her to save this village or just let it do whatever. If you kids understand her pain and grief as you witnessed her childhood in your time in the Academy...and then what Sasuke has done...help her. Help her appreciate life once more. That and she's never alone in this...' she looked at the world outside her window, 'Sea of Monsters. Despite what my idiot fool of a teacher has done...there are some who does care.'

xxx

Two days later...the results of the DNA came. As far as Suna knows, they were only doing Naruto's current DNA while Shizune and Sakura were secretly doing her family's DNA.

'Kazekage-sama,' said a Suna medic. 'The results are as shows...comparing Uzumaki-san's DNA to her old one from her previous hospital stint...her current DNA got mutated by a factor we couldn't find no matter what we do and we had no choice but to write it off as jutsu and chakra overload along with Kekkei Genkai mutation is as frank as we can get while evading medical jargon mumbo-jumbo. The changes involved is the unusual lengthening and unusual strength of her telomeres that have unusually slow deterioration. The telomere in the DNA plays a key role in aging. As we age, our telomeres deteriorate and the faster it does, the faster we age. It can also be influenced by dangerous diseases and cancers but it rarely occurs, given the right conditions.'

'The mutation that occurred went like this; her maternal side terribly dominated her paternal side. Then with the unknown and still-unlocated factor, it caused the unusual traits in her hair and eye color caused by small amounts of chakra trapped in her hair and eyes and a significant change in her DNA by enhancing it three times. And with her natural chakra separated from the influence of Kyuubi, investigation showed that her life force and vitality shot up by a factor of ten than what was normal by human standards. In short, the mutation is a new Kekkei Genkai of longevity and very slow aging. She will age three times slower and live longer than normal humans. By calculation...if she doesn't get killed in missions or by Akatsuki, she will die a natural death at age 300 at minimum while appearing like a normal elder in their centenarians as she was normal human at age 16 before this happened. But her children if she has any, will begin to age three times slower from cradle to grave. Same lifespan as mother or maybe because they will also have the genetics of their father, this kekkei genkai's 'power' will be cut in half. However, only a man whose blood is as strong can counter this and halve it, if he wanted to see his kids grow up and marry before he dies from age or by missions. If a normal man with thin blood, the mother's genes will dominate effortlessly and overpower his weak genes that his child will inherit.'

* * *

A:N- TvTrope Artistic Biology. This is just for the sake of Fiction, please do not take above information seriously.

* * *

'Is that so...she's not going to like this.' Gaara groaned out in dismay as Shizune and Sakura sighed.

'She won't alright...where is she anyway?' Sakura asked Gaara curiously. While many people would KILL for a long life and longer time to stay young and beautiful, Naruto who lived a life of misery caused by her circumstance won't be as welcoming.

'Sulking in my house.' Gaara sighed, resting his head in entwined fingers as his elbows rested on his desk. 'And not in the mood to talk to anyone unless it's me. She has never forgiven the truth, very angry with Jiraiya and the Sandaime Hokage. Good work everyone.' the medics left, but Shizune and Sakura stayed. 'Well?'

'With the changes, it'll be very hard to prove who her father is.' said Sakura. 'The Uzumaki genetics are just too strong. Given the history, their blood is thicker than any clan in the world but the Uchiha and Hyuuga that practices incestual marriage to maintain family bloodlines where kekkei genkai is concerned, but the Uzumaki is thicker than both. And this will make her a target to any power-greedy bastard out there...'

'I can imagine.' said Shizune. 'We already informed Jiraiya-sama. If she has children, they would most likely inherit the new strain of Uzumaki Kekkei Genkai. The genes are just too powerful.' she shook her head. 'Slow aging. Long lifespan and powerful chakra...Konoha will have a field day if they find out.'

'Keep it secret.' Gaara ordered. 'Allow only Tsunade to know. Then to any outsider, she just dyed her hair on a whim.' he said firmly. 'The barrier Naruto created is designed to painfully expel those with intent to harm Jinchuuriki or a Sunagakure Citizen. It'll be easy to know if anyone would dare try to profit off her. I will kill them myself.' he swore that oath before the two women. 'Naruto protected me and my people...we will protect her in kind. She will always be welcome here as our hero and friend with citizenship if Konoha's being a bastard again. Then again...' he snorted. 'Their loss, our gain.'

xxx

The case was that secret that the two women did not dare give an oral report. They just handed the test results to Tsunade...along with a lighter. She read the results, before rolling it up, and burning it with the lighter. 'Good work you two. So Jiraiya is still hospitalized?'

'Pretty much.' said Sakura. 'It'll be a long road, Tsunade-sama. For Naruto.'

'Sou ne...long road indeed.' said Tsunade grimly. 'I only took this job just so self-serving shitheads can never take the job. I even wrote my will incase anything happens to me in advance which was read by the needed people who I know are loyal to the Yondaime and his wish. I even sent a copy to the Daimyo to be double sure using Jiraiya himself. And given what I have seen of Konoha in my first year here, I had to change the Academy Standards around the time the year ended, five months after your first Chuunin Exams and I had to tell your senseis to up the education. Yondaime would never allow this idiocy in education to happen yet sensei allowed it out of consideration for civilians whose children are too weak for our normal standards...this is just too much.' she grumbled. 'And the first and only time I got those Elders to agree with me on this.'

Indeed, Tsunade bulldozed through the 'cheap, pathetic curriculum' and replaced it with good standards. And Summer and Winter Vacations are a thing of the past when said vacations are used for extra-curricular activities. The Academy went year round from then on, resulting in better, more competent and educated graduates in her reign. The civilians bitched, she barked that she's the Hokage and she can damn well run how her military wanted to be run. She's not as kind as her predecessor and their bitching resulted in great damage as recent graduates are ill-prepared because they nagged the Sandaime to water down the curriculum for more passing, yet incompetent and undereducated graduates. Result? Confusion and chaos in the Joint-Invasion and only war veterans who survived the second and third wars picked up the slack while the newer generation easily succumbed to Genjutsu and had no idea what to do thus they got killed. Thus she put in emphasis that the civilian council indirectly got many people killed by their stupidity and bitching, and absolutely no understanding of military education and training.

In fact, while she was out wandering, she heard many ninja from foreign nations talk about Konoha and their laughingstock of an education, meaning, there were spies in Konoha and they were an international embarrassment. This enabled Tsunade to disband the Civilian Council for the damages they caused and part of the blame fell on her late teacher who allowed this to happen out of kindness and because 'it's peaceful times'.

In fact, when they were gone, she effectively won over the Clan Heads to her side. Tsume practically cheering that 'those dipshits are finally gone' and wanted to celebrate out by karaoke nights while the others were horrified of their reputation outside the village...particularly Danzo who was so angry he wanted changes done.

Moreover, Tsunade wasn't done yet and destroying the Civilian Council was just a start. She made it known to the village of the damages caused and had a hardcore proof to justify the disbandment of the Civilian Council in Political, Security and Military Matters of the Village before public out roar by misinformation occurred by the vengeful morons who lost their power.

It was her first victory. Then she had ANBU and both the T&I and the Yamanaka Clan work full and double time. The ANBU would hunt down spies hidden in their military and among civilian population, and chuck them to be grilled and killed. She had a thorough housecleaning done and even stricter regulations on entry into the village. And she had the surviving graduates a year after the Kyuubi Attack re-educated and retrained, rank be damned while she let those from clans be handled by their clan heads. Politics and dancing go hand in hand. Then there's Naruto's peers. She had to inform the clan heads that she will personally tell them the truth about Naruto in order for them not to be poisoned by an outside force against her.

Her reign worked well since. She ran a tight ship and she was proud of it.

Soon, the next generation will fully understand how Shinobi truly works and learns. She will change this village if only for her cousin's sake.

Why is it always the younger ones who clean up the messes of their elders again?


	8. Old Man's Job Request

Old Man's Job Request

Four days after the tinkering of the Medics, Naruto had told Gaara that she will go back to her employer to complete her contract, and left Sunagakure. He wished her well and hoped that her time away from any shinobi nation will help her recover from her ordeals, and he wanted that the next time he sees her, she would be happy again and overcame her inner demons when she returned, no pun intended.

'So...time to go back to Mifune?' Zelretch asked the now redhead who nodded. 'Back we go then.' and they were gone, and Naruto was back in Mifune City.

'So, you took quite a while from Clock Tower.' Touko commented as Naruto got back into the office. 'With a new look no less.' she was slightly irked that the blonde now sported red hair and the Dollmaker hated red.

'Well, some things occurred in my home world, forcing me to overdo it to save an important person to me.' said Naruto, playfully pulling her red hair. 'My mother's genes got overpowered and dominated my father's genes resulting in _this_. The medics had a field day because I was Patient Zero in this case. Well, magecraft doesn't exist in that world and overusing magic causes mutation. That's in your lessons, right?'

'I see...so your mom's thick blood has red hair huh?' Touko mused thoughtfully.

'Yep. At least I still have my father's eyes somehow.' Naruto shrugged. 'Did anything interesting happen yet? Or did Shiki finally get laid while I was gone?' Touko choked on her coffee. Shiki will sooner kill any man who attempts to bed her than allow herself to get laid.

'Hell no!' she choked out. 'Anyway, I got a job for you from the old man.' she took out an envelope.

'From Zelretch? So soon?' and she just got back here, Naruto thought with a twitch.

'Hai...along with this.' Touko took out a small jar with a small jewel in it. 'Mission is in the envelope and he already sent me the payment, so good luck~!' she said, winking at the new redhead.

'Oh, OK. Inform the two sexual tension idiots(Touko choked again) of my new situation will you?' Naruto asked her employer.

'Yes yes would you mind quit reminding me of how much they need to be locked up in a broom closet?!' Touko sputtered out as Naruto sat down on the couch...and she opened the envelope and read her mission along with the photo of a young boy about three years her junior. 'It's pretty obvious already!' Naruto laughed playfully. 'This day never happened, OK? If Shiki finds out, she'll chase us down with those eyes open!'

'Hahahaha!' Naruto laughed aloud in mirth. 'Hai hai!'

'So, what's your job?'

'Well, I have a pupil who I must prioritize...so I'll be borrowing the books you had me read, OK? I'll return them in one piece~!'

Touko can only blink.

'I suppose...' she mused. 'So, who's your pupil?'

'...Emiya Shirou who lives in Fuyuki City. Adopted Son of the Magus Killer Emiya Kiritsugu and kid in question is the only survivor of the Fuyuki Fire caused by the Fourth War.' Touko stiffened at this. 'He was originally a normal human but he got a mutation that caused him to have Magic Circuits. But Kiritsugu deliberately undereducated him for some reason, he didn't even leave behind his Magic Crest...or at least, part of what he got to the kid because the Association has the rest.'

'Oh I know that one.' said Touko, her eyes wide. 'The Association confiscated the Emiya Crest and announced the Emiya as a 'Fallen House' because of Emiya Norikata's research into Vampirism. I was a freshly graduate when that happened. Your job is to probably lay foundation to revive it by training the kid.'

'Probably...Japan has so few Magus Families compared to other nations, it's not funny.' Naruto griped. 'Maybe we should work on creating new families by discovering new talents so in 500 years, we'll have new clans springing left and right. We have all time in the world and creating new families doesn't warrant Sealing Designation.'

'That'll be quite the hard work even with Kage Bunshin.' Touko twitched. 'That'll take YEARS.'

'It'll get us money for our troubles afterward.' Naruto shrugged. 'We'll have to carefully choose which human has big magical potential whose awakening will result in lots of circuits.'

'Fine, but you be my front face as I'm a Designate!'

xxx

Fuyuki City, a day later...

Naruto got off the bus and looked at the map of Fuyuki.

'Miyama Town has two districts...those who has traditional houses and those with western style houses. Emiya should be in the old district.' she chirped as she used her ninja skills for quick travel to get to her destination. Today is a Sunday, meaning, it's also Chore Day. The brat should be home. And it was four months after Kiritsugu's death.

This should be easy. But first, she has to deal with Shiro's guardian, Fujimura Taiga. She created a Bounded Field in the roads leading to the residence that will make her think she checked on him and make her go on her merry way to have fun. And boy will she have fun...in riling the boy up. She rang the doorbell.

/Hai?/ a young boy answered.

'I'm Uzumaki, a teacher sent to check on you.' Naruto spoke in a professional manner in a deeper voice just to convince him to open the door and willingly invite her in. The house has a weak Bounded Field but it will still warn of trespassing. When her pupil opened up the door...he gaped. He saw a redheaded bombshell who is obviously a teenager, not a teacher.

'Hey!' he gasped. 'You're not an adult!'

'But in two years, I will be! Heehee!' Naruto chimed as she glomped him. 'My future student is such a cuuute boy~!' she squealed as she practically smothered him in her breasts, much to his horror.

'Uwaaah?!'

And so...

'So you're a Magus who will teach me?' the boy asked her incredulously, as if it was too good to be true. 'For free?'

'Not quite for free...you'll cook and do my laundry.' Shirou face-faulted. 'Moreover, you should be lucky that very few people know about you. Kiritsugu isn't well-liked by the Association but still made use of him to get rid of rogue magi or vampires. The reason he is disliked is because he's a heretic whose lifestyle went against the norms of Magi. That, and what his idiot of a father did.'

'Er...what did my adoptive grandfather do exactly?' Shirou asked her with a gulp.

'He tried to research into Vampirism to become a Vampire, his research leaked and infected a whole village.' Shirou's jaws dropped.

'The reason Kiritsugu was allowed to live when he was your age was because he personally killed his father upon getting horrified of what his research actually is that somewhat redeemed him in the eyes of the Mage's Association that his teacher was able to bargain for a few circuits of the confiscated Emiya Clan Magic Crest.' Naruto explained. 'He trained in Magecraft and worked as a Freelancer. What made him a Heretic is because he uses human means to do his job such as firearms and explosives. He hardly uses magic. Then he has no official heir and thus as far as anyone was concerned, the Emiya Family is D-E-A-D dead. However, you were discovered because of this house, and your school records.'

'Be lucky the nice ones discovered you. Had it been the bad ones, you'd be dead long ago as he made a lot of enemies.' Shirou gulped. 'And when the nicer ones found out about you(Zelretch sneezed in his office), they sent me to get you up to snuff. So that one day, the Emiya Clan will be revived two or three Generations from now and be great enough to get back the family Magic Crest. I am your educator thus.'

'OK...but what made my case so special?' Shirou asked her. 'I bet others before me didn't get this chance.'

'Indeed, they won't.' said Naruto airily while waving her left hand with her wrist idly. 'But the special case only applies to families who are 500 years old in History. The Emiya fit the requirements perfectly. And you my dear, are horribly _undereducated_. Your Magic Circuits aren't even awakened properly so you had a rather shoddy time in even the simplest of spells.' Shirou winced. Kiritsugu really didn't want him to become a Magus so this was on purpose. And he lied about the 'no talent' thing obviously.

'But what about Fuji-nee? She checks in on me.' Shirou pointed out. 'She might walk in on us!'

'I created a Bounded Field in the road leading to this house.' Naruto said rather impishly. 'The field is designed to make her think she already checked in on you when she puts even a toe into the field and distract her with whatever she's currently interested in after doing her job as a legal guardian. So don't worry about the local annoyance.' Shirou sweatdropped. 'We'll also have to improve the security in here...it's atrocious.' she noted with a frown. 'But let's worry about that later. Lessons and training come first. Since you just graduated Elementary...you will not go to Middle School for three years in our time together.'

'EHHHHH?!' Shirou yelped in alarm. 'But what about High School?!'

'Oh, you'll attend. I'll just have a friend forge you records so you can go. Besides, it's easy to manipulate school files, class pictures and computer data if you know what to do.' Naruto grinned. 'It's THAT easy.'

Shirou really didn't want to know how she'll do it. Really. Because that grin made him shudder.

'Now then, we'll awaken your Magic Circuits properly.' she chirped as she took out a jewel. 'Here, swallow it.' Shirou's eyes bulged. Him? Swallow a jewel?!

'N-no kidding?!' he cried as he edged away from it in comical fear. Last he checked, you can't digest jewels! To get it out of him, he needs surgery!

'Chillax,' Naruto reassured him. 'In jewel magecraft, the jewels turn to dust once their purpose is done. In fact, some jewel users store spells in jewels for a quick casting and once the spell is used up, the jewel turns to dust. And you can get rid of said dust by usual bathroom means through your digestive system, so you'll be fine.' she put the jewel in Shirou's hand. Shirou looked at the jewel nervously before swallowing it. When Naruto was sure it went down his pipe, she activated the spell 'Release'.

The effect was instantaneous. Shirou saw in his mind numerous circuits that all got activated when all of them glowed and opened up to their proper sizes. '2-27! I have 27 Circuits!' he gasped out as upon activation, he swore he heard a gun being fired when its trigger is pulled. And the jewel down his chest disappeared.

'We'll begin with your first Lesson. Magic Circuits.' Naruto smirked as Shirou paid rapt attention. 'They are a pseudo-nervous system that spreads itself through the human body and what qualifies a person to be amagus. Their normal functions are to act as paths that convert Life Force into prana, but humans learned how to control it and use it to perform mysteries. They are that which connects the material world to the astral plane, the paths which connect to the foundations underlying Grand Rituals. If prana is the force that actualize the rules of a Thaumaturgical Theory's system, then the Magic Circuits are the pipelines that converts prana and transmit that energy from the magus to the system.'

'Magic Circuits reside within the magus's soul, and what is found on the body is just a physical expression of them that stretches itself throughout the body in a fashion similar to the nervous system. They are composed of core components, which are the actual Circuits so to say, and bypasses that connect those components to the brain. Magic Circuits do not change and once damaged they cannot be repaired. Because organic activity is necessary for the operation of Circuits, it is a common mistake to think that they are literally a part of the magus body. There are rare occasions in which the Circuits continue working even after the practitioner's body has ceased all vital functions. In these cases, destruction of the brain is necessary to stop the Circuits. Their Quality and Quantity are ranked through letters like Magecraft, and their Composition often varies between magi.'

'As like any other organ, the number of Magic Circuits that one possesses is determined at birth and cannot decrease or increase naturally, meaning that those from older lineages will be more powerful. But it is possible to change that number artificially through a number of methods. One of those methods is through the establishment of a mystic pass between two magi from which the Circuits can transferred. As the Circuits are located in the soul, a fusion of body and mind is required during the transplant. However, the process carries the same risks and complications as a transplant of organs. Furthermore, as the Magic Circuits become unstable if tampered while in use, there is a possibility of mutual destruction if a contract similar to that between a magus and his familiar has not been established beforehand.'

'A normal person rarely acquires Magic Circuits but in these cases they are considered as sudden mutations. You are a case in point as your mutation occurred because you are at Ground Zero of the Fuyuki Fire six years ago.' Shirou stiffened at the reminder of that hell. 'Still, the Circuits are ultimately something unnatural for the human body and their activity will cause pain and numbness to the magus. Did you feel pain when your Circuits activated properly for the first time?' Shirou shook his head.

'No but with my former way, it does cause me pain.' he said. 'But when I got properly activated after swallowing that jewel, I heard a gun being fired in my mind.' Naruto frowned at this.

'Humm...so your own family history is in question.' she mused thoughtfully. 'Magi who belong to old lineages have such mental images and they use that image as a trigger to activate their circuits to use spells. The fact that you have mental image of a gunfire means you somehow descended from an old blood who married normal humans and you got lucky.' Shirou swallowed at this. 'So from today on, you won't feel pain whenever you activate your Circuits using your image.' the boy looked relieved. 'An average Magus has 20 Magic Circuits, especially those who are first-generation Magi, humans who became magi.' she told him. 'And first generations tend to have lousy quality of Circuits in the bargain. I'll check on you, shall I?' she said as she used Healing Magecraft to check on him. 'Hu-hum...yep, I'm definitely questioning your family history.' she mused thoughtfully. 'You are capable of producing a maximum of 700 units of prana. Not bad...not bad at all. If you went to the Magus Association, you'd be a 3rd Rank Magus.'

'Er...Prana is the energy we use, right?' Shirou asked her. 'Can you elaborate?'


	9. Special Chapter: A Young Boy's Woes?

A Young Boy's...Woes?

Four Years Later...

Emiya Shirou is a fully-capable, well-educated Magus. How and why?

It was through an incredible cheating method. Kage Bunshin. Naruto taught him the technique and the beauty of it if created using Od. The maximum number of clones he could make, was 20 which is good enough(using it costs 35 units). For one year from the crack of dawn to sundown, he had his clones read books on topics in order. History of Magi, Magus Biology(The Soul, Magic Circuits, Magic Crests, Prana), Magus Culture and Etiquette, The World(Akasha and Counter Force included), Origin, Elements, Magus Association, Magus Laws and Regulations, Magus Occupations, Magus Bloodlines and the Church, and Books about the Japanese Society of Magi and the Demon Hunter Organization while the real him was under intense physical training and conditioning from Naruto as well as training him hard in acrobatic skills, free-running and evasion skills-ninja style. He also learned martial arts from her and he is particularly suited to Muay Thai and Close Quarters Combat before he learned how to walk on walls and water.

They used clones to learn the techniques by sight, but upon actual practice, Naruto made him to 500 repetitions per technique within one hour just so his body can get accustomed to doing the moves until he no longer felt discomfort...all the while juggling Prana Training by getting his circuits used to being open by keeping the Circuits active and have Prana flow continuously in a cycle using all he has so he would not end up spending prana and that he wouldn't be so strained if forced to use all 700 in one shot.

In Summer, Winter and Spring Vacations, she had his clones Read English Books, Medical Books, Math Books, Chemistry Books, Physics Books, Biology Books, Music and Art Books, Mythology and Folklore Books by Country, Various Encyclopedias, Computers and Technology, Firearms, Explosives, Military Tools and Equipment, Driving, and Japanese Cultural Arts and Cuisine. She also stole books for Middle School Students, and they chose Miyama Middle School to forge his existence into that Naruto personally handled. But Shirou himself must be present in the taking of Class Pictures while doing one hell of a Forgery. And every year, they are to take three different ID Pictures and the grades Naruto forged are along the lines of 85-93.

Every after training by day is another story entirely. Their lifestyle consisted that of a healthy diet, milk, and various health supplements Naruto procures by TV Shopping Network mostly for the bones and height issues. Thus, for a 14 year old...his physique was starting to get _ripped_. He didn't mind the Healthy Diet if only to get better and stronger. But what he DID mind...is the fact that his sexually-attractive teacher tended to dress in skimpy, sexy lingerie. It was also training to get used to the sight of a woman's body as in battle, women use their sexuality to their advantage, embarrass men and thus have an opening to attack. She sits in cross-legged positions just so he can get used to seeing women's legs and panties, and their breasts hidden by their bras until he no longer blushed as he is often punished for looking away or closing his eyes. His clones, after their purpose of reading books is over, they are tasked to do chores and cooking for them. In baths? They take baths at the _same time_, and take turns _washing each other_. Hands definitely roamed! And she even washed him 'there' just so he can wash 'hers' too. She would electrocute him every show of reluctance.

In sleeping?

He is to sleep in just his boxers...with his sexy teacher using him as a dakimakura. Her breasts are his pillows, and he is trapped by her legs with his thing poking hers. She is seriously testing his will as a man of morals. Sometimes, she would even grind against him and seducing him, causing him to get aroused. And his nights are often full of 'wet dreams' to his horror and her amusement. He is even encouraged to kiss her, masturbate(she taught him how) and 'heavy petting'(again, she taught him how and she sometimes 'plays' with him) until he's used to it and no longer gets embarrassed in doing it before they sleep and he could sexually arouse her. She joked that he could make any girlfriend happy with his 'talents'.

Sometimes, he swore she's into teacher/student romance disguising their...nighttime activities as 'training' and raising him to be her lover as day one, she found him 'very cute'. The only thing he hasn't done yet, was _take her virginity_. She said his virginity is exclusively for his future wife, and her own is for her future husband so they didn't dare go all the way...to his relief. When he got used to sleeping with her in their underwear, the next horrifying thing is that they started to sleep NAKED and their nighttime rituals continue. Heavy petting sessions together got more intense which taught him about sex and foreplay because given Taiga's personality, she'll be an idiot and teach him wrong. He also grew to appreciate the beauty of a woman. Especially if they're shaved or in Naruto's case, Laser Treatment.

He once asked her if her teacher trained her like this.

Touko did. But in her case, she made her watch lesbian flicks before films about man and woman going at it because she's too old for the then 13 year old for 'hands-on' activities and she didn't want to be accused a Pedophile. Naruto on the other hand, had leeway because she's only three years older than Shirou.

Second Year in Training, she Consecrated him to determine his Element and Origin. And both came out 'Sword'...making him an Incarnation. She made full use of this by training him hard in swordsmanship and bladed combat while his clones...are now reading Magic Books. Books about Demons, Divine Spirits, Familiars, Homunculus, Phantasmal Species, Spirits and Vampires. Once those books are done, he spent six months getting used to Ryougi-Style Swordsmanship and Bladed Combat using knives and throwing weapons, as well as accuracy and timing skills while also juggling year one training. After that, he was made to read books about Bounded Fields, Conceptual Weapons, Gradation Air, Magic and the Five Greats, Mystic Codes, Mystic Eyes, Psychics, Reality Marbles(which was forbidden by the Association and a favorite of Vampires), and Marble Phantasm(incase he encounters the White Princess Arcueid Brunestud). She also managed to procure other interesting disciplines for him to read from before they put it to practice.

In the second half of his second year, Naruto trained him hard in making Barriers and Bounded Fields with the help of clones to cheat with experience and days of training. Because he makes 30 clones at his max(he improved), each step is easy to master thus and each step was a month in one day and he technically took 'three months' worth' per step. Thus in two weeks in real time, he mastered the art of Barrier and Bounded Field Magecraft as they weren't that different from each other. Next is Gradation Air and Projection and he has amazing talent in it that it took him three days to master in real time. She gave him various blades...and soon, swords that she borrowed from the Ryougi for him to use Structural Grasp on each, and Trace them before sending the borrowed weapons back. She told him that if he sees any good bladed weapons...copy it for more firepower.

Next was Healing Magecraft that took him another three weeks, Flowing and Transferring of Power took four weeks, Material Transmutation only took one week, Mental Interference took a month and half due to his reluctance in it, Repairing Magecraft took two days, and Runecraft took a month in real time. Next is Alchemy that took him five months, Spiritual Invocation and Evocation that took four months each, learning High-Speed Arias after that and it took two months for him to get fully proficient in it.

Continuing the second half of his second year and by this time, third year included, the total of real time spent, was a total of 479 days...roughly a year, three months, and twenty-four days. The remaining nine months and week was dedicated to Formalcraft Training(spells related to gathering mana in the air to covert into prana for his personal use if he ever runs out of Od), how to make Explosive Tags, Flash and Smoke Bombs, and combat simulation training, both in martial arts, swordsmanship and magic battles in the mountains so nobody will bother them while they can freely go all out until Shirou can do fine on his own in battle, and lasting three hours against her in battle while efficiently utilizing his 700 units to last THAT long. Along with that, Naruto taught him how she fixes his school years. An art he'd definitely need for his future family. And to his luck, their months in the mountain also stopped their 'nighttime rituals'.

Because he was no longer confident he could hold back and take her if they kept it up as heavy petting no longer satisfied him. And those hellish two years and some months made him a very seasoned lover in bed indeed that Naruto considered him a full-fledged man.

And they went back to Fuyuki in Spring, for those Graduation Forgeries from Miyama Middle School. He's even included in the Graduation Ceremony itself! Naruto also removed the barriers that kept Taiga away from him for three years.

It was one hell of an ass-pull and those three years were _pure hell_. in the hands of his playful, mischievous teacher who practically tested his nerves and control as a man. Seriously. It was a miracle that they only went as far as kissing and heavy petting that seeing a woman's body nor the mere thought of touching one no longer scared, horrified and fazed him. He also grew to appreciate 'other things'. She's also a very strict teacher and a perfectionist. But when they talked in their spare time, they talked about themselves. His sensei is an orphan who got the opportunity to be apprenticed to the Ryougi Family and Aozaki Touko and she takes many things seriously...such as family, friends, lovers, training, mental discipline and attitude.

When he told her about himself...she highly DISAPPROVED of his dreams as a hero who is an 'Ally of Justice' as in today's modern era, such a thing no longer exists, since year 1900's. It's idiocy at best. The Government, Military and Police itself who runs society nowadays is 'justice' and nowadays, the word 'justice' is distorted and twisted to serve their own self-interests if there's corruption and information, cunning, conning, blackmail, threats, trickery, lies and deceit, not the skills Shirou learned from her, wins the battle. If he still pursues his dreams in the current era, only a life of pain, misery, despair, solitude, grief and regret awaits him and those who love him. Heroes are celebrated POSTHUMOUSLY for a good reason and their hardship only acknowledged in death while those left behind will weep that he's dead by his ideals.

Surely he didn't want to make his loved ones cry by his stupid ideals? His wife and children, as well as friends will cry because they lost him. And she laid it on thick enough for Shirou to reconsider his dreams.

If he still believes in justice, he should only protect what's most precious to him as that should only be his justice. Protecting those he loves and cares for, and doing the right thing for those close to him and those who care for him. She also taught him the mindset of fighters so he would not offend anybody who is just like them. Particularly...the women. That, and he should enjoy life as it should be while working to restore the Emiya name his adoptive grandfather tarnished and caused his adoptive father his pain. By restoring his father's ruined name through great accomplishments as a Magus, that is also justice as he saved the family.

But he is one hell of an educated, booksmarts teenager, a well-trained Magus who mastered the disciplines taught him and a skilled combatant.

Two days after Graduation Celebration with the Fujimuras...Naruto visited Shirou again.

'Naruto-sensei!' This year, Naruto is nineteen but still appeared as young as ever. It was as if she didn't change at all. In their years together, she also keeps cutting her hair short.

'Sooo...how's life?' Naruto grinned as Shirou sweatdropped.

'It's only been two days after Fuji-nee dragged me to her house for graduation celebration party!' Shirou sputtered in disbelief with the comical bighead. 'Don't ask me 'how's life'!' Naruto laughed at that.

'Well, just checking on you one last time before I go back to Mifune City.' said Naruto. 'And your last task from me as your teacher, is to create a powerful bounded field in your Estate that utilizes all 700 units so it'll stay strong. It can keep out Magi who are around 3rd Rank so you should be fine. Those who are 1st and 2nd rankings hardly deal with 3rd Rankings and below anyway but just to be safe. And every Magus has a Bounded Field protecting their property. After I witness your exam, I'll consider you a fully-fledged Magus.' she told him. 'And also, the Kage Bunshin training method is only exclusive to you and your family from here on. You and your future children and descendants are FORBIDDEN to teach it to outsiders as because as far as I'm concerned, you are my only student.'

'What I count as 'outsider' is anyone who married INTO the family be it wife or husband from another family. Only children fathered by an Emiya are allowed to learn the skill and it's training method. If anyone who's not an Emiya by birth knows and flaunts that skill...you are **dead meat**. The only exception allowed is if you met my teacher who also knows the skill and if she asks your help because we're planning something big in years to come. You hear me?' she warned and threatened him.

Shirou gulped.

'Y-yes sensei.' he said timidly.

There's that too. Satisfied, Shirou spent a week brainstorming to design his Bounded Field before creating it. And with that, Naruto left him.

Two weeks later, his First Year in High School began. Taiga enrolled him in her old Alma Mater, Homurahara Gakuen and upon purchase of his school books, he had his clones read all of it, and went to Archery Club if only to keep his accuracy skills sharp. He impressed with his book smarts, athletic ability, and when Swimming Lessons came as Swimming is separated by Gender thus two classes worth of boys often share one Swimming Period in same Year Levels...he surprised his peers with his muscular yet lean, ripped body that was hidden under the uniform had many eyes popping out of their sockets...and got famous for his physique too, and made his classmates feel strangely inadequate. And when word spread to girls, well...

Many thought he was a model for some magazine why his body was like that. His body is also smooth as when he was fifteen, his facial, and body hair also got lasered off. Naruto treated him out of course.

Brains and Body aside, he was also famous for being a friendly, approachable, down-to-earth guy that has his fair share of fangirls and admirers. He also won quite some respect for himself that he found himself enjoying life indeed. He also got loads of friends and he was no longer alone.

Zelretch the Meddler had changed his fate by chucking Naruto at him. But of course, his personality and where he works at in his part-times didn't change at all. However, by doing this, Shirou never met and befriended Shinji and Sakura as he was supposed to in middle school, but he still befriended Ryuudou Issei. And he isn't the 'Almighty Janitor' this time around either because he enjoyed his life a lot and had fun and a lot of girls wanted him to be their boyfriend but for his family's sake, he would never marry a human. He would marry a Magus Girl. While most Magi would take decades and some to earn masteries, he was just a matter of months to a single year, effectively allowing him time for fun and leisure. Thus he wasn't like any Magi out there who spend their whole lives training, and missing out on the fun things in life. Childhood, Puberty, Teenage Years and Adulthood.

With how he lived his high school life, the children of Magi in Homurahara, Tohsaka Rin and Matou Sakura never suspected him, not even once for a year and some months into second year.

And thus, his time in the Fifth War went differently.

When he got chosen as a Master, he phoned Garan no Dou for help as he had no idea how to Summon and to his dismay, Touko, Naruto's teacher answered as Naruto was on a job and Touko taught him the ritual and the incantation. Thing is, he has no artifact as he NEVER expected this, so all he could do, is hope for a random summoning at best when the Grail gives them the signal through the Command Spells.

When the signal came...he properly summoned Saber(Altria Pendragon) properly and just like his father, he was shocked a girl came out.

He never knew he actually HAS an artifact. He has Avalon, Saber's Conceptual Weapon in his soul placed in there by Kiritsugu. And when he started summoning, due to his circumstances, his own body and soul became a relic to summon Saber as a result because of Avalon which belongs to her.

Not that he would know that. Ever. And by properly summoning her and he's a well-trained Magus, Saber's stats improved, she could get prana from him, and he's a reliable master...who preferred to watch her back by fighting alongside her using Projection and his traced weaponry.

Archer did NOT expect this version of his Incarnation at all. This Shirou is very educated and competent compared to parallels he gets summoned into. Out of curiosity, he made contact with him in Spirit Mode...causing him to learn what Shirou knows(some of which, embarrassed him) and greatly improved his own stats(he had to come up with an excuse fast as Rin will quickly notice his upgrade) and in turn, Shirou got access to his Reality Marble his future self created and various weaponry within by the synchronization of their souls. But he would not discover this until he dreams of a field of blades by night and how he knows them so well.

Archer also met Shirou's teacher two nights later into the war.

'Hello, Shirou-chan.' Naruto greeted the much-older 'Shirou' in the form of Archer.

'Don't call me that.' Archer deadpanned while looking around nervously as if there may be eavesdroppers. 'What do you want?'

'Can you show me Rulebreaker so I can copy it for myself?' she asked him. 'I am in great need of it before I go back to my world. A lot of things there...needs the Rulebreaker treatment.' she said. 'It will be the last thing I'll ask from my cute student.'

'Things where you're from needed Rulebreaker?' Archer blinked as Naruto nodded solemnly. So he projected Rulebreaker and Naruto used Structural Grasp to study how it works, and Traced her own copy. She also created a clone and had it do the same if only to commit it to memory.

'Arigatou, Shirou-chan.' Naruto chimed. 'And don't worry about this world's Shirou-chan. He will be OK. The Shirou-chan of this world...will not end up like you.'

'I hope so, sensei.' Archer sighed before showing her a strained, sad smile. 'My ideals that I got from Kiritsugu brought me nothing but pure hell. If this world's Shirou changed...maybe I can finally be released from my misery by the end of this war.' he said softly.

'I hope so.' Naruto smiled. 'If this world's Shirou-chan changed, maybe there's a chance that you'll be freed from being what you are now but you'll still remain a Heroic Spirit because of your deeds. Watch over your younger self because I can't be here anymore. Ja ne.' and she disappeared by Shunshin, leaving leaves behind her.

Archer felt new hope as he watched while working as Rin's Servant. Indeed, there were many changes.

Sakura isn't Shirou's friend. They were strangers. Shirou isn't the school brownie pushover. Instead, he's popular and has loads of admirers and enjoyed teenage life after three years of training. He also enjoyed going out for fun by day, and supporting Saber at night. His relationship with Saber was that of friends and sparring buddies...with Saber LOSING in regards to skill but was notches above Shirou in strength, speed, agility and endurance as a Heroic Spirit. Shirou remained a supreme chef in the house, Taiga freeloads as usual...and instead of Illya and Berserker, Shirou and Saber met Lancer and Bazett first as the two were headed for the Church to announce themselves. It was a fierce fight between Shirou and Bazett while Saber dealt with Lancer.

Shirou killed her as all she had going with her were her skills in physical combat which were clearly self-taught, and Runecraft. She also owned a Noble Phantasm, Fragarach which he took and Traced while keeping the real thing in the bargain. Lancer, angered by his murder of Bazett gunned for Shirou but Saber stalls him and managed to kill him. First one down...five more to go.

On the third day, Shirou and Saber met Illya and Berserker...and they gave it all they got if they both wanted to live, but only managed to shear off six of Berserker's 'lives' before Illya retreated.

But it took a week for Rin to choose to Ally with Shirou because of Rider's Blood Fort Andromeda and she can't do it alone and her knowledge of Bounded Fields paled in comparison to Shirou's and they met when they bumped into each other while hunting down sigils and discovered that the other is a Master. However, Shirou met Sakura who was being abused by Shinji in the Gym Storage Room when by chance he got chucked there on an errand by the teacher.

Upon seeing what was clearly Violent Rape, Shirou nearly left Shinji dead after a beating and rescued Sakura. Secrets be damned, he also healed her before taking her to the clinic, fibbing to the nurse that 'he found her having dizzy spells in the school grounds'. When the two left for the clinic, Rider took Shinji home...smiling rather vindictively and had to explain to the Matou Elder how he wound up this way while hiding the fact that the man who rescued her true master is a Magus.

Shirou promised Sakura that he will keep what he saw a secret and would watch over her when he could in school to at least, have some reprieve during the day. He was also worried and wondered how many years was the abuse going on that her expression belonged to a dead person who died with their eyes open out of resignation.

To his horror, Sakura told him that nobody showed her kindness until he came along. And she asked him why help a stranger.

He told her that one doesn't need a reason to help others. If it's within a person's ability, they should help when they could. He would have familiars watch her and if Shinji tries again in school, he would come as fast as he could and 'get rid of him'. This earned him another admirer while he continued working with Rin. However, this led to a fight with Rider...and Shinji is her Master. However, when Shinji was killed...Rider's presence changed drastically and her power increased...forcing them to retreat for the time being, and Rin began shacking at Shirou's house for safety.

Sakura who got wind of this wasn't happy that Rin gets to spend time with her crush even if it's out of practicality when the two allied up. And despite the differences in magical pedigree, Shirou was stronger in skill and has absolute mastery in everything he studied while Rin was halfway in her skills because she had to juggle school and training unlike Shirou did thus Rin wanted to ally with the nicest master...until there's only two of them left, that is.

She had Rider gun for Rin and kill Archer so she's out of the competition and Sakura can take her place in Shirou's home by 'allying with him' as he is the first person in ten years to show her kindness. She wanted to be near him but Rin is in the way.

Archer definitely did NOT expect Sakura to become a Yandere for his younger self and Sakura is mostly focusing on killing him.

Too bad for her thanks to Shirou and the change of fate by meeting Naruto, his own stats improved and Rider proved to be tough if Sakura is the Master. However, both were equal in speed and skill and its clearly going nowhere.

These were the changes. And Heaven's Feel Route just got nastier with a Yandere Sakura...at least Illya still became their ally and soon, Rider herself who fled when Sakura became 'The Shadow' and soon, Dark Sakura.

Archer has one more thing to prevent:

Rin using a certain pendant on Shirou. It's what caused the Paradoxes in his existence. Thus when Shirou's too injured to fix himself, using the Alliance as an excuse, he offers to heal his younger self while Rin sends him extra prana for back-up. In the end however...things changed too. And Rin discovered the truth about her Servant who noticeably has the same abilities as Shirou. She confronted him and Archer was truthful since it was pointless to keep it from her but he made her promise not to tell Shirou and NOT use her father's pendant on Shirou in hopes to end the paradox of his existence with this war. Rin kept the truth about Archer a secret since being a Counter Guardian is apparently, a fate worse than death and all he wanted is to be free.

Sakura was too far gone compared to what he used to know, lost in her resentment, malice and anger due to her miserable life and pain in the Matou Household while Rin gets to enjoy life as a normal girl and magus. Archer and Shirou, both of whom owned Rulebreaker disconnected Sakura from the Great Grail and Avenger with Illya's help, destroyed the corruption of Avenger within the Grail, and to avoid a second time, Illya shut the gate for good at her expense, destroying the Grail War System forever.

The problem now, was Sakura who is still a Lesser Grail and refused to stand down. But Shirou managed to convince her to have a talk with Rin with their Servants as Mediators...and for both sisters to understand each other in order for them to help her and help her start her life anew, now that her two tormentors, Shinji and Zouken are both dead and the worms in her body gone...she's essentially FREE with nothing holding her back to start life and learn how to be happy.

It took two months(after a circus parade of a Court due to the gate to Akasha closed down) before Rin earned Sakura's forgiveness and she was re-adopted back to the Tohsaka Family. But Sakura still wanted revenge on her foster family. So the two sisters sold everything the Matou owned to the Association with Zelretch's help. And with Sakura back to being a Tohsaka, the Matou House is extinct for good while Sakura's case remained a secret.

Their next problem were the Servants. Saber, Rider and Archer are still around, bound to their Masters by the spells. Rin then got a bright idea: since the Servant System is gone, they can essentially stick around as Familiars instead until the day their Masters die or if they wanted to live a little longer after their deaths, keep contracting with the nearest Magus who's willing to have them.

Well, their next problems are their love lives...but that's a story for another time as their next adventure, was the Magus Association as Zelretch took in the sisters as his students while Rin chose to go to the Department of Mineralogy while Sakura went to Eulyphis. Shirou went to the Department of Universal Research in hopes of restoring the Emiya name in memory of Kiritsugu who lost everything because of his father. And because they were in different departments, they hardly saw each other while their Servants are free to loiter around, exploring London or doing whatever. In time, Sakura's crush on Shirou died...and in their adulthood, they married Japanese Magi when all of them graduated and went back home to Japan.

Touko's pupils who trained by the Kage Bunshin Method became known, all of whom possessing great magical potential. The Tohsaka Sisters married two of her male pupils by Muku ni Naru whom they met while Shirou...met and married Azaka, Mikiya's younger sister who, unlike her elder brother, is a Magus and said brother married Shiki. His wife and sister-in-law never got along, literally causing Shirou and Mikiya to meet in bar nights when sparks fly between their wives and they would hide to avoid said sparks.

Rin has five children, four daughters and one son with her husband while Sakura kept _going_ with her excuse being, 'they're rich anyway' until she has eight daughters and five sons with the children in a fierce sibling rivalry in who gets to be the next Tohsaka Heir and inherit the family crest from Rin. Shirou has four sons and three daughters with Azaka and their only concern, is living a happy life while researching new Magecraft to restore the Emiya Name. If they fail, their children and grandchildren can continue where they left off of.

Shirou and Archer soon learned that Azaka, Mikiya and Shiki used to work with Naruto under Touko in her Garan no Dou Agency. When Shiki and Mikiya married four years after Naruto left, Touko left the agency to Mikiya to find Magi with promising talent hidden in human society and bring out their potential to create new Japanese Magus Families. With her long life because her body is a puppet body with her soul in it, it was possible. Touko succeeded in creating new Japanese Families each of whom has their family specialty.

However, there was one thing nobody saw coming.

Fifty years after the Fourth Grail War...a great Earthquake shook and completely destroyed Fuyuki with great casualties. The only survivors were the Tohsakas and Emiyas who used Magecraft to escape, and those who lived or worked at the edge of, or outside Fuyuki. The Earthquake became the interest of the media and scientists as there were no fault lines in Fuyuki yet an Earthquake occurred in such a scale in that area alone. The Association also took interest because it was an unusual case...

And they found a blast site of unknown causes somewhere outside Fuyuki, causing a 'bump' in a major leyline leading to the city's rich spiritual grounds. And there was no fixing it as every fifty years, the Earthquake will occur because of the bump if only to release the pressure that builds up in the bump when studies were done. A mass cover-up worked overtime and prevented anyone from living in Fuyuki in the near future. The damages were cleared up, and it became a countryside of nature in a few years. Thus the Emiyas and Tohsakas relocated to Mifune City.

Indeed, things changed.

When Rin passed away, Archer has the Independent Action of B Rank...he can stick around for a week before he disappears. And because things went differently...Archer was free from his fate as a Counter Guardian and became a normal Heroic Spirit. He was free and happy.

Shirou was the next to pass away and Saber disappeared with him.

Sakura, being a Lesser Grail...she never aged a day and used Illusion Magic to pretend she does to the public, and only Zelretch, Touko and the Tohsaka Clan knows her secret. Sakura watched over her and her sister's descendants while looking for a way to end her immortality with her family's and Zelretch's help.

There was one way...the massive pools of prana she possessed can be sent back to The World down to the last drop and without Prana, she would die. She happily did so, just to end her immortal life. Rider disappeared two days after her immortal master passed away.

* * *

A:N- Look up website and look up EMIYA.

His original stats because Shirou's various incarnations were horribly incompetent in both fighting skill and magecraft. This is his original stats even with Rin, an Average One with great magical pedigree as his Master.

Strength: D  
Endurance: C  
Agility: C  
Mana: B(because **Rin** is his Master)  
Luck: E  
Noble Phantasm: E~A++

Class Skills

Magic Resistance: D

Personal Skills

Magecraft: C-

xxx

But upon making contact with Shirou who trained under Naruto...he too, got influenced and augmented by making contact and absorbing his knowledge through prana. And because Shirou's circuits are fully open and trained, Archer got boosted.

Strength: A(because his younger self is very conditioned and trained physically)  
Endurance: A  
Agility: A  
Mana: A(by making contact with a well-trained Shirou and Rin is his Master)  
Luck: B  
Noble Phantasm: C~A++

Class Skills

Magic Resistance: B

Personal Skills

Magecraft: B

xxx

Saber's Stats with Canon!Shirou as her Master...

Strength: B  
Endurance: C  
Agility: C  
Mana: B  
Luck: B  
Noble Phantasm: C

Saber's Stats with Trained!Shirou as Master...

Strength: B  
Endurance: A  
Agility: B  
Mana: A  
Luck: A  
Noble Phantasm: A++


	10. Remaining Sense of Pain

Remaining Sense of Pain

Year 1998, April...

After training Shirou, Naruto returned to Mifune, to Garan no Dou.

'So, how's your pupil?' Mikiya asked her as he was there with Touko and Shiki was out.

'He's fully trained.' said Naruto. 'He'll learn more if he chose to go to Clock Tower for further education. That's up to him though.' she said. 'How's things while I was gone?'

'A lot of nutty cases happened.' said Touko to Naruto's dismay. 'You missed out on the fun.' she said with a wry smirk much to Naruto's dismay.

'Ehhhh? Noooo!' she moaned, and wondering how much fun she's missed while enjoying messing around with her pupil.

'Maa maa...' Mikiya tried to pacify the depressed girl who missed out on wacky cases because a VIP chucked her to a long-term job. 'I'm sure we'll have new cases soon, don't sulk too much!'

'Well, where's Shiki?' Naruto grumbled as she lied down on the couch.

'She went out.' said Mikiya. 'Shopping.' Naruto did a double-take.

'Shiki? _Shopping_?' she gasped out in shock. 'Those two words can't possibly belong in the same sentence?!' she cried dramatically with an exaggerated mock-swooning that Mikiya sweatdropped while Touko snorted, but she stayed quiet. Indeed, Shiki barely has any hobbies/pasttimes worth mentioning thus shopping came as a shock to the blonde who at least, had two interests outside training and work.

'Well, she likes kimonos and kimono designers come up with new stuff every season so she went with Akitaka-san.' Mikiya told her. 'I'd go but I'm out of place in those high-end, classy boutiques. Do I look like a rich guy to any of you?' he said wryly. Touko and Naruto exchanged looks before shaking their heads.

'Naaaah.'

Mikiya dropped his head in a disheartened sigh. Well, it's another day in Mifune...really now.

In Garan no Dou...It is a contract-based agency run by Touko. The majority of the jobs involve puppet-making, but they also take on cases with supernatural or abnormal elements and, if Touko was interested, all sorts of jobs are accepted such as anime production. She placed a bounded field around the building that houses Garan no Dou that was supposed to make it undetectable via hypnotic suggestions, yet Mikiya managed to find and get in it out of sheer stubbornness because he wanted to meet the doll-maker that created the puppet that reminded him of Shiki. Due to his Origin, he was not counted as an 'unwanted intruder' thus he was able to get in despite being a normal human.

Mail service, phone, water and electricity runs just fine. It's because even though it repels unwanted visitors, it also has to maintain its existence as a legitimate business. It appeared to be an abandoned building, and it really was an abandoned building. Touko purchased this building which was abandoned mid-construction and insisted on calling it her office. The first floor is just ruins. The second and third floors are where Touko works. The fourth floor was the office. Naruto, Mikiya and Shiki have only seen and been to the fourth floor as the rule is that nobody is to trespass in a Magus' Workshop. EVER. It's the ultimate offense to any Magi and the offended Magus would retaliate by killing the intruder.

Mikiya and Naruto helps Touko do the legitimate business jobs and if ever, dangerous investigative work with Naruto being Mikiya's 'shadow' for his safety as the former blonde was no good in intel gathering. Shiki only takes on abnormal and supernatural cases as she is completing the two years of High School she missed in her Coma while Mikiya quit College until Shiki graduates High School as he wanted to go to College with her. That's how bad he has it for Shiki. However, unlike the two who are paid employees, Naruto steals what she wants from stores as she won't stay long in this world and money here is useless where she's from. Her 'payment' for her work comes in the form of supported stay in an apartment near the agency. Touko pays her monthly rent as her pay as due to her age and 'appearance' caused by her mutation, going by legal transaction is troublesome and Touko acts as her guardian in the eyes of the public.

Right now, all is normal as Mikiya told her about the cases that went by, including the suicides of Fujou Building in which he nearly died from if not for Shiki.

Around the third week of May...

Naruto wisely went out when Mikiya went in as a few minutes afterward, Mikiya won't be too happy.

This month, Touko spent big money on a Victorian-era Ouija Board that left her broke, thus unable to pay either Mikiya and Shiki this month and Touko refused Naruto's offer of robbing a bank just so she could have money. The younger redhead was lucky her rent was paid before Touko splurged. And the bad news was to kick Mikiya out because the true nature of their next job isn't for someone like him who has a kind heart, thus Shiki and Naruto would work together. Naruto was informed earlier that morning before Shiki came in, making Touko repeat until Mikiya came in, and Naruto took that cue to leave.

The next job was to kill a girl responsible for the unusual murders...that leaves her dead victims twisted and bent in ways no human could survive, essentially becoming human twizzlers and pretzels, suffering excruciating pain before they die. The client wanted the girl secure but if she's beyond capture, they are to kill her.

Target: Asagami Fujino  
Client: Fujino's Stepfather

When Shiki left the Office, she joined with her.

'Our case is a messed-up job this time huh?' Naruto whistled as she walked with Shiki. 'And Mikiya can't join us because he's too soft for the nature of this one.'

'Well obviously.' Shiki grunted. 'He's never seen brutality, violence and bloodshed and the people doing it before. He knows I'm a killer but he never saw me in action.'

'One of these days he has to get used to this.' Naruto sighed. 'Because we're an odd bunch. Magus. Ninja. Demon Hunter and Human. We're quite the Circus but managed to be as efficient as we are. One of these days...seriously.' she shook her head in bemusement. 'But even so...you want him to stay the way he is, right? He's fine the way he is.' Shiki snorted with a forced smile since it's very unlike her to smile.

'...heh.'

The next day however...Shiki got a phone call from Mikiya who was asked by a friend to do some job for him in exchange for lending him money and he was supposed to meet Azaka in Ahnenerbe...and asked Shiki to apologize for him.

'A job from a friend huh?' Naruto mused as Shiki complained to Naruto about being sent on a boring errand by the guy. 'Why do I have a bad feeling about this?' she mused aloud in exasperated amusement.

'Your instincts are always accurate so we may as well follow it.' said Shiki as they went to meet Azaka after school hours. Apparently, Azaka called Mikiya to help a friend of hers find 'a guy she has a crush on' but had no idea where to look. Upon arrival...

The atmosphere changed.

Why?

Shiki and Azaka never got along.

Period.

Both Shiki and Azaka wants Mikiya 'that way' despite Azaka being his own sister...and Mikiya was head over heels for Shiki at first sight which irked the younger girl and the brother has no idea of his sister's feelings. It was the ladies' of Garan no Dou's source of private amusement and Shiki enjoys pressing Azaka's buttons without any effort.

Not only that, the friend who wanted Mikiya's help **is their target**. Shiki who never saw her face knew by instinct that she's an enemy. Naruto who knows her face by looking at the files pretended to be a normal girl to be off the girl's radar.

'Azaka.' Shiki called out to Azaka who gasped and sharply turned to see the two killers and muscles of the agency.

'Ryougi...Shiki.' she growled. Azaka has a habit of calling people she dislikes by their full name. 'And together with Naruto even!' she harrumphed, turning away from them in a huff. 'I'm meeting with my brother.' she said rudely while Fujino did a double-take at Azaka doing a 180 and looked at her as if she grew another head. 'I have no business with you!'

'I have a message from your brother. He said he can't come today.' said Shiki, before dropping oh-so-bluntly, 'He stood you up.' she said to Azaka's fury and Naruto cringed at her bluntness comparable to an old, worn-out sledgehammer.

'Ouch...you make it sound like they're supposed to be on a date, Shiki-chan!' Naruto chuckled weakly while wincing because her own words got Azaka even more pissed. 'Eto Azaka-chan, a former school friend asked him to do a job for him in exchange for lending him some money so he couldn't refuse him.' she explained in an attempt to pacify Azaka. 'Er...Touko can't pay us this month so he's out borrowing.'

'And why?!'

'She ain't paid by our client yet in our last job and he's quite late in delivering so she can't pay us and Mikiya needed to pay rent fast. His landlord is a jackass.' Naruto lied convincingly. The truth was Touko splurged on a freaking antique Ouija Board. 'So yeah.'

'Grrrr fine!' Azaka huffed, accepting the excuse while Shiki gave Naruto an odd look for her lying but shrugged it off.

'Er...Kokutou-san?' Fujino piped up weakly.

'What?'

'Er...everyone's _staring_.' when they looked, indeed, the other customers were watching their bickering, causing Azaka to squeak in embarrassment.

'Oh no! I'm so sorry Fujino~!' Naruto took that as cue to drag Shiki out before she could say a word.

xxx

'Did you notice?' Shiki glanced to the redhead who nodded as they walked down the street. Their atmosphere changed and the two looked very serious.

'Yeah. We have the same eyes after all.' said Naruto, her own eyes activated before stopping. 'How can she not notice?' she wondered, totally baffled by their situation.

'Beats me. She has no idea at all.' said Shiki with a sigh. 'There's more than what we know. What a pain in the ass.' she grumbled irritably. She hated complicated things. That's what Touko and Mikiya are for.

'Maa maa...' Naruto giggled before going serious. 'Let's follow that girl. I have a feeling she'll continue searching for her prey and the so-called person she has a crush on is the next to die. We're lucky she's friends with Azaka-chan so Mikiya isn't likely to die if they ever meet. He's safe. But others on the other hand...' Shiki took a deep breath before sighing.

'Yep. We shadow her then.' thus began several hours' worth of stalking...and late into the night, Fujino went into a Karaoke Bar...and went out with a guy, headed to a shipyard...the guy thought she wanted some 'fun time' but she asked him where 'Keita-san' is and crushed some crates with her power, terrifying him out of his wits to answer her.

When he didn't because he was so horrified, his left arm was pulled before it bent and broke backwards...before the right arm got yanked and became a twizzler.

'Ooh...so that's her power. Telekinesis.' Naruto whistled as they were hiding in the shadows. 'But the Asagami didn't have such power and the family noted for that skill is the Asakami.'

'Sucker's bet that she's adopted.' Shiki scoffed. 'I heard that she's the last Asakami when her father died and her mother remarried into the Asagami.'

'That explains it...only fellow Demon Hunters would know that.' Naruto nodded as the guy's left leg went next...and soon became a pretzel, killing him.

'I'm sorry...but I have to do this.' said Fujino softly and apologetically before pressing her right hand on the right side of her face as if she has a headache before burying her face in both hands as the guy's blood pooled at her feet. 'By doing this...only then can I be like everyone else. In truth, I really don't want to kill people.'

'That's not quite true isn't it?' Fujino gasped as she turned around. In the shadows, Shiki and Naruto showed up to confront her. 'Asagami Fujino. Closely related to Asakami...'

'Shiki-san...Naruto-san...' she gasped out as she has two witnesses to her deed and power. 'Since when were you there?'

'We stalked you all day...and even watched you make a human twizzler and pretzel out of that poor sod.' Naruto chuckled with a twisted smile much to Fujino's indignance.

'D-don't call him a pretzel!' she cried defiantly. 'He's human...he's human...'

'Hey now, humans don't die that way.' Shiki scoffed mockingly. 'A person who didn't end his life like a human clearly isn't human anymore. A person removed from the boundary line is deprived of all his meaning. Common sense can't deal with things like that corpse or like you.'

'No!' Fujino cried in denial. 'I'm human! I'm normal! I'm not like you people!' this caused the two to laugh hysterically at the incredulity of the hypocrisy.

'Oh, come on Fujino-chan~!' Naruto chuckled. 'Do you have any idea how hypocritical you sounded just now?'

'We're birds of a feather...' Shiki and Naruto activated their eyes. 'Asagami Fujino!' Fujino glared at them as her killer persona came out.

'Don't kid with me.' said Fujino, activating her own eyes. A distortion in space appeared that was what makes the 'twistings' happen but all of a sudden, it stopped, caused by the very thing they noticed in Fujino when they first saw her.

'Again?' Shiki swore in annoyance. 'What the hell is going on with you?!' she demanded angrily. But when Fujino didn't answer, Shiki scowled. 'That's it, what a turn-off.' she huffed as her fighting spirit was gone. 'It's worthless to kill you now. Hurry up and go home so we won't see you again.'

'You sure about this, Shiki-chan?' Naruto piped up as Shiki turned to leave. 'It's our job to capture her you know.'

'As she is now, she's no fun.' Naruto sighed as Shiki walked away.

'Yare yare...' she scratched her head. 'If she goes home, we'll still get paid anyway.' she shrugged. 'It counts as 'capture'. Go home and stop your rampage, Fujino-chan. Or we'll be forced to kill you and capturing will no longer apply then.' and she ran after Shiki to go home.

The next morning however...Mikiya had quite a tale to tell them. He met Keita, Fujino's target who asked Mikiya for help to hide him.

Apparently, Keita and his gang met Fujino and for fun, snatched her out of the streets because she was beautiful and started abusing and raping her and since she was so passive she didn't resist and not reacting to anything, they made it a game to see who gets to make her react to whatever they did to her when she comes out twice a month. They eventually got bored of her and one of them decided to hit her back with a baseball bat and for the first time, she experienced pain and expressed it...and when picked up to get stabbed, all hell broke loose and Keita was the only survivor that night.

Since then, she started hunting him...and killings began. She hunted down people who knew Keita, kills them when they can't answer until she gets him.

The girls gave him a deadpan expression.

'You're too nice.' they chorused.

'Yeah...I knew you'd make fun of me for that any time now.' Mikiya replied tonelessly with a disheartened expression to match as he finally got involved in the case and got the files from Touko.

'Protecting Keita after hearing his story...' Touko sighed as the boy in question sleeps in the next room. 'You should be called _stupid_.'

'Even a nice guy like you should be shaken and revolted.' Naruto snorted. 'In fact, you should just have left him to his fate. Getting raped, beaten, threatened and all else twice a month for half a year straight...any girl would be pissed. It so happens that the band of fools pissed off the wrong sort.'

'If it was a normal situation I'd do what was normal.' said Mikiya gloomily. 'But this is different.'

'Because the supernatural is involved?'

'...Un.'

'It's indeed a peculiar case.' said Touko. 'But what are you going to do now?' she asked him, wanting to hear his answer.

'I think the only thing to do is go see her and talk.' Touko raised an eyebrow, Naruto snorted in her hot chocolate mid-sip and Shiki walked to the windows and irritably yanked the curtains away.

'You're an idiot.' she grumbled. 'That's way too nice. You can't get through to her just like that. She's beyond help. She won't stop until she gets what she wants. I don't even know if she'll stop after that.'

'She's a persistent one.' Naruto quipped. 'She won't rest. Because of her inability to feel pain, she never gets tired, sore, the need to eat, drink and bathroom or the need to sleep as she walks until she finds those who know her target until she gets him.' Mikiya looked at his colleagues, totally baffled.

'You guys...know her?'

'We know and we met her!' Shiki grunted. 'We met her and she's with Azaka yesterday.'

'We stalked her because she's our target.' Naruto chuckled. 'In fact, she's the girl Azaka-chan wanted you to meet because she wanted help in finding a person she wants to crush. And because you used to be from the same school, easy, right?'

'With Azaka...so she's still in school.' Mikiya mumbled. 'Is she still going?'

'No...she never went back to her house or the dorm and school since she started killing that night.' said Touko. 'And after yesterday, Azaka hasn't seen her since. They came to me for a search job after all. Things are going to get rough so you stay here with Keita.' she instructed.

'Get rough?' Mikiya frowned. 'What do you intend to do with Asagami Fujino?'

'Depending on the circumstances...we may have to fight her.' Naruto told him. 'She has a pair of nice eyes that causes the twists and bends she causes on her victims.'

'No way!' Mikiya cried in protest. 'Can't we talk it over?!'

'Nope. Can't be done.' Shiki stated.

'Why?!'

'I made Keita confess before I put him to sleep.' said Touko. 'On the night they were killed, he said that after the bat, the leader stabbed Fujino with a knife.' she told him. 'It seems Fujino was stabbed which was the trigger of her revenge, not the baseball bat. The problem starts here, on the night of the 20th.' she mused. 'Shiki and Naruto met her two days later. At the time, she didn't have any wounds on her. She was completely healed.'

'She was...healed?' Mikiya croaked dumbly as he recalled the night he met Fujino before he got aware of the case. But all the time, she was putting pressure on her stomach with her arms and acted as if she was hiding something. He choked.

'But on the phone, Fujino said it hurts, right?' Touko continued. 'She probably recalls the pain of being stabbed whenever she thinks of the time she was violated, causing her to kill people. Who can say it won't happen while talking to her?'

'You're wrong Touko.' Shiki retorted. 'She does feel pain. The pain she's feeling is still inside her body.'

'Hooo? But you said she didn't have any wounds.' Touko thought incredulously while reaching for her box of cigarettes and shook it to get a stick out, 'A wound that hurts...even if it's completely healed?' she bit the filter to further pull it out, put the box away and took a lighter to light it, then took a deep puff before blowing out smoke. 'Is the sense of pain remaining in her body?'

'Perhaps she's insensitive.' Naruto pointed out. 'The retard said she didn't react to anything. It's because she actually doesn't feel a thing. It's abnormal.' Touko narrowed her eyes while pondering.

'Insensitive to pain...' she mumbled. 'If that's true, was there something that changed her? Like getting hit in the back or having lots of steroids shot in her neck?'

'The back...' Mikiya mumbled. 'I heard it started when she got hit in the back with a baseball bat.'

'Ah-ha~!' Touko gasped out with wide eyes as if 'bingo!' 'So that's it? A full swing temporarily cured her of her insensitivity...the pain she felt for the first time must be one of the impulses driving her to murder.'

'Like us, huh?' Naruto mumbled as she recalled their interactions with Fujino. 'Because she wanted to be like us. To feel pain. She wanted more of it in hopes to be a normal person because normal people, whether human or magi feel pain.' she mused thoughtfully. 'She wants more of it to the point of masochism if only to feel normal like we do. Listen Mikiya,' she told Mikiya. 'Nobody can gain anything if they can't feel a thing.' she said. 'It's like not having a body or not really existing. She'll want more of it for sure. It must be why she allowed those delinquents to rape, beat and drug her consensually despite knowing what they're doing to her is horribly wrong and a crime...in hopes she'll feel what it's like to get hurt. But in reality she's already hurt.'

'Already...hurt?' Mikiya looked at her dumbly.

'Pain isn't limited to the body such as injuries or illness. There are other types of pain too. Emotionally, Spiritually, Psychologically and Mentally. Because she feels no physical pain unlike us, Fujino-chan is at a loss and tormented by the thought that she's not normal like us. She wonders if she's alive or not. Does she exist or not? And she goes to school everyday and has friends like Azaka-chan. Her classmates at some point get hurt by slipping and falling, or whatever mishap in PE Class or by some stairs. If she gets the same injuries, how is she supposed to react while hiding the fact that she's insensitive? If her secret gets out, she fears what her peers will think of her. Will they think she's a monster? Will her friends leave her for thinking she's a freak like some Terminator movie? She's desperate to be normal and wants a way out.'

'Then when that full swing temporarily cured her by a good whack at her spine...she finally felt pain.' Naruto continued softly. 'Only, the injuries and drugs she accumulated affected her all at once, multiplied by factors and probably decided she doesn't like pain anymore and finally wants revenge for the crimes done to her now that she got what she wanted in spades which was more than what she bargained for. She's a real piece of work.' she said in dismay, shaking her head.

'There's that.' said Touko with a sigh. 'But you guys said her insensitivity is back, right?'

'I don't care about that anymore.' Shiki scowled. 'I can't forgive Asagami Fujino. The mere thought that she'll go kill again makes me wanna puke.' she grunted in disgust.

'Heh, hate for your own kind eh?' Touko snorted.

'So much for birds of a feather.' Naruto deadpanned.

'I'll investigate Asagami Fujino's past.' Mikiya offered.

'I suppose it's worth looking into.' said Touko. 'Afterall...everything starts in history doesn't it?'

'I'll be going far away for a bit.' said Mikiya. 'I won't be back for quite a while.'

'Sure, go ahead.' said Touko as Mikiya stood up and left the cramped sitting area before stopping by Shiki.

'I'm going now.' he said. 'Don't be too reckless, Shiki.'

'_You're_ the reckless one.' Shiki retorted as Mikiya gets himself into dangerous situations on his own despite having no ability to defend himself. 'Honestly...I guess it's true that stupidity can't be cured.' and Mikiya left. Sometime later, Shiki and Naruto also went off.

The next day, in her apartment...Naruto is reading a newspaper after breakfast. There's a seventh killing. A driver by the roadside whose head got twisted off before the car accident caused by his death. An unrelated murder.

'Shiki-chan's gonna be pissed.' she mused thoughtfully. She may be from a family of Demon Hunters but while Shiki has impulses to kill due to her upbringing, she really didn't want to unless forced to and knows the weight of the lives she took. With or without the Eyes. And she started at High School while Naruto started at 12 because it's in her job scope. Either them or her while in Shiki's world, murder is a crime and rarely dismissed with a wave of extenuating circumstance if done out of self-defense. She's used to killing to do her job while making sure she survives, Shiki isn't accustomed to killing despite her upbringing...and Fujino, the beautiful rich girl who was robbed of her senses is driven insane by her circumstances and developed a sense of pleasure in murder.

Asagami Fujino is beyond help in the psychological sense. Fujino's acts were murder up until the fifth victim. Killing anyone beyond that is no longer murder but a massacre. There's no justification in pointless massacre.

When she got to the office, she met Shiki, clad in her jacket. 'Shiki-chan, heard about the news that's totally unrelated to what we know?'

'Yeah. We're stopping her now.' Shiki grunted, showing her key cards to a certain building but under a different name before tucking it back in her jacket. 'Let's go.' and they left in search of their target. This time...they'll kill.

Destination, the still-constructing bridge being constructed by the Asagami Family's company.

However...a typhoon came and started raining really hard, soaking both girls to the bone.

'Oh, jeez...' Naruto growled. 'What a perfect way to start the day.'

'Let's get this over with.' said Shiki as they started running for their destination. 'We really should get a pay raise, don't you think? Last I checked this isn't in our job scope.'

'I'll say, working in extreme weather conditions isn't in our contract!' soon...they arrived at the bridge as they sensed Fujino's presence and tracked it down...and came to see her on the other side.

'We meet again...Asagami!' Shiki smiled menacingly as Fujino could only stare, wide-eyed as her enemies showed up for the third time.

'Y-you again...'

'You're a beast that learned the taste of blood.' said Shiki condemningly. 'You're enjoying murder.'

'That's you.' Fujino retorted. 'I don't enjoy murder at all!' she retorted fiercely as Shiki took out her knife and Naruto took out her kunais in dual wielding.

'There's a proverb that says 'third time's the charm'.' Shiki purred with both their Eyes activated.

'The way you are now...we can finally kill you.' said Naruto as they ran at her. 'Bye-bye...Fujino-chan.' but Fujino was faster.

Her eyes were suited for long-range combat while Shiki and Naruto's needed close-contact. A distortion appeared on both of them. 'Shiki-chan!' Naruto gasped out as she destroyed the distortions before they could take effect. Shiki is not used to fighting against magic or jutsu unlike her so she can't see it unless she gets accustomed to it.

'You can see it?'

'Yeah. I'm used to magic. You go offense, I'll go back-up.' Naruto cried.

'Roger that!' thus Naruto acted as Shiki's shield while Shiki took offense, making a move to kill Fujino. But the younger girl was faster, creating several distortions at once, forcing Naruto to grab Shiki and escape by Shunshin to avoid the distorted space fields.

'Shiki-chan, we're a sitting duck out in the open!' Naruto cried as she keeps evading by Shunshin.

'Into the building, now!' they went to hide in the building by jumping up to inhuman heights to escape Fujino.

'...they're both unbelievable...' was all Fujino could say as she never dreamed humans could jump that high. The two older girls could jump several meters high in one bound and fled to the building. 'But I'm stronger so they had to run. Heehee...' and she ran after them while struggling against the pain in her stomach. Her pain is back and it damn hurt...she wanted to kill, to cause pain...the same pain she's now feeling...

The battle continued in the building, by the parking lot.

Ironically, by fighting two girls at once, Fujino gets stronger and stronger and could hold both of them back by merely looking and wishing their deaths.

'That does it! You are so dead!' Naruto cried, having lost her patience as she began using magic and fired energy bolts at her but it was just distorted away, forcing Naruto to use the bigger guns.

'I really wish you could have done that sooner.' Shiki deadpanned while using various openings to get close.

'Well we're in public sight at the bridge and the shipyard, CCTV cameras are a pain in the ass and I really don't want the Magus Association on our case for exposing the existence of our kind but in this building, all bets are fucking off!' Naruto snarled angrily. Shiki grinned viciously at this.

'Yep, it is so on.' she said viciously as Fujino was using all she had to hold both of them back...and slowly but surely, they are getting accustomed to the distortions...a mix of beautiful red and green.

'You two...are insane!' Fujino cried out. She could not believe that she can hold her own against two killers and even the fact that they're persistent in killing her.

'That's you!' Naruto pulled an ironic echo while keeping up her onslaught. 'At least we KNOW what we're doing, you don't! Shiki, can you finally see it?'

'Yeah...it's a beautiful spiral of red and green.' Shiki grinned. 'Nice eyes she's got.' she said to Fujino's disbelief. 'She's used it one too many times so yeah. I can finally see it.'

'W-who are you people?!' Fujino choked out shakily in apprehension. 'How can you see?!'

'Everything in creation has a flaw.' said Shiki. 'Humans are very much noted...even air, intent...and time.' she said as they reactivated. 'We have special eyes like you too...only, we see the 'death' of things...and we can 'kill' them.'

'...bend.' Fujino uttered, creating numerous spaces, causing the two to quickly react and cut them.

'What Shiki-chan means by that is we can kill anything we consider 'alive'...even if it's God himself!' Naruto clarified darkly, finally driving Fujino off the deep end.

'BEND!' she cried in fear, creating more and more distortions that were effortlessly destroyed by the girls no matter what she tried. 'Bend! Bend! Bend! Bend! Bend!...' she made a mistake in shutting her eyes...something Shiki and Naruto took advantage of. Naruto sped to grab and restrain her from behind for Shiki to move in. 'Ah! A-are you going to kill me...?' she whimpered. 'Why? I only kill because my wound hurts...'

'Quit lying.' Naruto spat out. 'You don't smile when you're hurt.'

'You smile when you kill.' Shiki sneered while getting ready to kill her. 'You look so happy. In fact, right now you're smiling.' she said, noting the insane smile on Fujino's face.

'Damn, she's a real piece of work...' Naruto scoffed upon hearing that as she couldn't see, not while holding Fujino in a restraining grip. 'A true insane killer who smiles as she enjoys killing. You're a mad dog who needs to be put down...Fujino-chan.' she said coolly as Shiki raised her knife.

'We're birds of a feather.' Shiki uttered what she denied before. 'See ya.' before she could land the fatal blow...Fujino gasped out at the impending fatal blow on her life and cried,

'BEND!' the building began to shake...and crumble violently...causing the building to collapse.

'This is bad!' Naruto gasped out in freak-out moment because Fujino had enough power to destroy everything around them as they ran off to escape...and they got separated in the disaster. But at least, still alive. In the end, both Naruto and Shiki located Fujino at the same time, in the puddle of her own blood.

'...does it hurt?' Shiki asked her. 'If it hurts...you should've said so.'

Ironically, her words were the same thing Fujino heard from Mikiya in their Junior High Years and the present time.

She could only cry.

Shiki bent down and put an end to Fujino's pain.

The pain they saw on Fujino when they met her for the first time in Ahnenerbe.

'You're so kind, Shiki-chan.' Naruto mused softly in thoughtfulness. 'No wonder Mikiya fell head over heels for you. You're kind in your own unique way, you Tsunderekko.' Shiki's narrowed eyes bulged open at the incredulity of the redhead's words. 'Don't you know that guys find girls cuter being Tsundere?' Shiki went red at this and her lips shook at her own embarrassment.

'S-shut up!'

Laughing at Shiki's expense, they left Fujino where she is.

xxx

Outside the Asagami Construction Site, by the road where the two girls stood...a red car pulled over and Mikiya came out of the Passenger's Seat.

'Shiki! Naruto!' Mikiya cried out as he ran towards the girls who looked like they had one hell of a rough time together. 'Are you girls OK?!'

'Hehehe...somehow.' Naruto chuckled sheepishly. 'Case closed and I wanna go home for a hot bath.'

'You're both alive and in one piece which is good.' said Touko with a grin. 'Case Closed indeed. But I still want to hear details.'

'In the end, that stupid girl developed the ability to see through things and destroyed the damn bridge.' Shiki grunted huffily. 'She'll become incredibly powerful if left alone.'

'Clairvoyance huh?' Naruto whistled. 'Clairvoyance paired with her Eyes...damn. What a piece of work.' she swore with a snort.

'She'll certainly be invincible if Clairvoyance is added to her arsenal.' Touko mused thoughtfully. 'She can make a fulcrum even if you're hiding behind something...' then she paused. 'Wait...if we left her alone?' she asked Shiki in disbelief.

'Her insensitivity returned at the very end.' said Shiki. 'It's unfair dammit. I can't kill _that_ Asagami Fujino.'

'That's why I said you're nice, you tsunderekko.' Naruto teased her playfully, earning her a glare from the brunette before Shiki glared at Touko for snorting.

'Heeee...Tsunderekko eh?'

'_You_ shut up!' Shiki scowled. 'In any case, she's done. I killed the pain in her stomach.' and she tossed Mikiya her cell phone.

'Very well. Let's go get our pay then.' said Touko. 'We better scram. It'll be troublesome if we stay here.'

'Oh, I'll stay.' said Mikiya. 'At least until the ambulance arrives. I'll stay since I'm the one who called so I can tell them what happened.'

'If that's what you want.' said Touko as she turned to leave. 'Let's go girls.'

'...I'll pass.' said Shiki rather passively, causing the two redheads to grin knowingly before leaving in the car.

'Honestly, that Tsunderekko.' Naruto shook her head. 'It just makes her cuter in Mikiya's eyes. They are sooo going to get married.'

'Heh, that's already set in stone.' Touko chuckled. 'Let's leave them be. Oh yeah, you never did say what's your pay for teaching your pupil.'

'Oh that? I'll get it in the events that'll happen two years from now, so I'll be sticking around longer. It's a really great reward but I have to wait that long.'

'But...what about your world? You'll be 20 here when you're supposed to be 16 there.'

'That's the beauty of it. I'll return to my original age when I get back, so don't worry about it too much. Laws of the World and all.'


	11. Spiral Paradox

Spiral Paradox

Since that incident at the bridge...life returned to normal and since there's no supernatural jobs, it's been legal jobs that Touko, Mikiya and Naruto have been doing thus Shiki doesn't show up and goes to school. Mikiya on the other hand...took driving lessons.

Right now...Naruto works for a manga artist as an assistant since the person before her quit out of stress while learning something new in the bargain. She also took interest in drawing and making manga but she has to learn how to draw beautifully first though. Moreover, before drawing a manga, write a novel first. Create your story's world, it's people and it's story before drawing it to life as a manga. The novel is a foundation base of the manga itself before the actual comic book in the form of manuscript paper before it can be published.

She had to look for references in drawing, coloring and shading techniques too as well as books about nature...as well as usage of materials such as pencil, eraser, good quality paper, ruler/bendable ruler/18" ruler, T-square, inking pens, light box, templates, compass, blue pencil, doujinshi paper, brushes, tones, cutting knife and board, paper cement, correction fluid, ink, inking pens, and human figurines. Had she chosen to take on this career, it's hard work and stressful. Moreover some of these materials don't exist where she's from that she'll have to do it the slow, hard way.

She managed to fulfill her part-time job since unlike these people, she's used to stress, exhaustion and overwork...from training. She can keep going...and going...and going...as long as she gets hot chocolate every hour.

Hot chocolate and cold chocolate to a lesser extent, are her favorite drinks in this world. They don't exist where she's from. Seriously.

'Uzumaki-chan it's closing time.' said her employer, startling her out of her reverie.

'Eh?' Naruto looked at the clock to see that it's 11 pm. 'Ah.' was all she could say blankly.

'I know you can keep going as long as you get drinks but we need sleep too you know! So git!' the others laughed as they all left the workplace.

To be honest, she enjoyed a normal job like this once in a while.

Sometimes, she envies Earth. So peaceful. Supernatural stuff hardly happens. Unlike her world that's on a constant on-and-off basis of war and peace or megalomaniacs out for power, destroying everything and anything around them for their goals.

As months went by, she's improving and can finally draw well after observation. But of course, she needs her own style.

Her contract ended around August as a new Assistant got hired, and her pay sent to Touko. She took a new job after that. She took on modeling. However, she got assigned to Tokyo for it. Akihabara to be exact...because of her petite frame, slender limbs and shape, her modeling job...was Cosplaying. She had to pose as various anime and game characters...and soon she got called to model various Lolita Fashion Genres, and she gets clothes for free so she's not complaining! Due to her figure which was unusual on a model, she was attractive to look at. The usual models are skinny with no womanly-shape but Naruto sports a healthy yet slim and slender frame and has a shapely round rear, and d-cup breasts. Thus she got a lot of jobs and photo shoots as an attractive model.

When she asked how she has a body like that in order to be actually be seen as a beautiful, HEALTHY model not the skinny, figureless kinds common today...

'It's a strict discipline I put on myself since I was 12.' said Naruto on an interview. 'As a girl I want to be beautiful of course, but everyone's standards of beauty, mine included are different. Some think those with big er assets are sexy. Some like them just right. Some hopes for a Barbie doll body...stuff like that but hey, there's a reason they say too much or too little is bad for you especially if they did not suit your natural appearance. So I thought how to be beautiful without compromising my own health and physical development as a teenager and soon, adult woman?'

'The answer was right under our noses all this time. Strict self-imposed discipline and then do what you know is needed to achieve. I took gymnastics lessons, ballet and dance. And instead of doing what they usually do to stay light on their feet, I focus on eating fruits, vegetables, fish, shellfish and I never touched rice not even once unless it's sushi. I rarely eat livestock products and I cook my food in ways to avoid unhealthy oils and grease that causes fats. Instead of eating less, I eat a lot and I just burn things off by doing my fitness routines. That way, I can enjoy food, stay healthy and stay in shape.'

'Maintaining this diet is very hard, especially as it's tempting to eat sweets, cakes and pastries and mouth-watering dishes in some restaurants. But I force myself to think that my hard work will go down the drain but a friend told me it's ok to cheat, as long as I don't binge too much. A taste is often sufficient to bat away curiosity and temptation. After a taste and satisfaction, I never go for it anymore and stick to my diet. Besides, a body like this has rather amusingly enjoyable careers in a girl's prospective future. I mean, I got scouted as a model for how I look, education-level be damned! Besides, it's only part-time but when I hit adulthood, I can go back as I please for full-time! Being disciplined pays off lots.'

The people thought she's 15-16 when in reality, she would be 20 next year in Earth time while in her world, she would be back to her real age as she will only truly age in her world, kekkei genkai be damned because she was born in that world. It's a wonder the Counter Force hasn't noticed her yet. Then again...Zelretch DID say that the Magicians must find and help out those who gained Mystic Eyes of Death Perception so they would not go nuts. As long as she behaves, the Counter Force won't go batshit on her in Earth even if she's an alien from another world.

Besides, she is one of the people who had been to the ROOT. Connected through her Mystic Eyes so she's a special case.

Spiral of Origin...and her name is Uzumaki that means whirlpool and her family symbol is a spiral. Naruto is Maelstrom or Vortex. But it can also mean the naruto topping in Ramen that has a pink swirl in it. And the Root is a Vortex itself leading to Akasha as it contains 'the truth'. Past, Present, Future, Alternate Futures, Magecraft from the Age of Gods to Present Day...knowledge man can only dream of. But reaching the Root is risky and suicidal. Very few ballsy enough to do so become Magicians, gain unusual, incomparable powers, get a gift or a curse. And since the Root can be anywhere...it means Naruto can exist anywhere she likes with the help of the Old Meddler who has the power to travel worlds. Yes, she can live anywhere but she needs help to go there.

Subtle much?

Then again, Ryougi isn't subtle either. Due to their kekkei genkai of having dual personalities with the opposite personality always being of opposite gender. They were the very embodiment of the Yin-Yang Symbol. The small hole in both halves of the circle is a spiral of rivalry with contradictions. In the teachings of Onmyoudo...they call it Ryougi. Everyone has a little of the opposite sex in them. The state where the original is split into two.

Thus, two girls with names dangerously related to the nature of the Root...both of whom from different worlds, are chosen to be given the full-powered Mystic Eyes of Death Perception without its drawbacks. However, the one more connected to the Root, is Shiki. If one is to be blunt, if Naruto's name meant 'Spiral Vortex', Shiki's name bluntly translates into 'Enforcement Regulations of Taikyoku'.

If that were so...

Shiki herself is the path to the Root and a budding Counter Guardian. And her family ironically named her well.

If Archer Shirou finds out about her, he'd probably go apoplectic as he sees the role as a precursor to misery.

xxx

October 15...

'I'm home!' Naruto announced out as she returned to the Agency. The usual occupants are added with Azaka's presence.

'Gokurou, Naruto.' said Touko, holding up a magazine. 'You're starting to become a famous model now and a strangely good example.'

'Good example?' Azaka asked, her, puzzled as Touko toosed her the magazine with Naruto on the front page. 'Ehhhh?!'

'Well, I got scouted as a model for Cosplay Conventions, Lolita Fashions and not long ago, Swimsuits but I had to go to Tokyo for it.' said Naruto. 'They found me an 'attractive model' due to my figure, not the typical bone-thin shapeless ones being promoted these days. They're setting a terrible example for girls who hope to be models yet hearing that to be a model you have to have the figure of an anorexic as it's beautiful in the eyes of the industry.' she scoffed. 'Try telling that to a boy you like, only for said boy to be frightened of you for how scary you look after acquiring such a body, or give you a weird look as if you're an alien.' she said as Azaka read the parts concerning the redhead.

'Anyway,' said Touko. 'I got contacted by your employers. Since I'm your legal guardian out of ahem, 'adoption', they're wondering what school you're from.'

'Oy oy, I don't go to school here!' Naruto sputtered out, wide-eyed.

'That's the problem.' Touko deadpanned. 'We'll have to 'make you exist' in schools in Mifune before we make you exist in High School, at least until you're 20.'

'You gotta be kidding...'

'She's 20?!' Azaka cried shrilly while pointing at Naruto in disbelief who clearly didn't look the part. 'No way!'

'Kekkei Genkai. Bloodline Limit.' said Naruto. 'Ninja term while you Magi call it 'Sorcery Trait'. The trait of the Uzumaki is powerful life force and vitality as well as slowed aging. Due to the life force factor, it made me a powerful magus when Touko trained me. And because to protect a person dear to me when I left the agency temporarily, I synthesized a new power by mixing chakra and prana...causing a mutation in my own trait. The most affected is the slow aging part. I'm 19 now but I still look around your age. Just as short too.' Azaka sported some ticks. 'Because of this, I cannot permit myself to legally exist in society...and the tightwads of the Association will have a field day with me.'

'Let's start, shall we?' Naruto sighed wearily. '1. The Uzumaki Kekkei Genkai goes way back, since the warring states period of my world. Our blood is very thick as a result. 2. The family trait I already mentioned, not to mention slow aging which means longer lifespan. Originally, the Uzumaki only has the longer lifespan factor because of our powerful life force but because of my mutation by synthesizing a new power, slow aging was added. I age three times slower than a normal human...and medics at home estimated that I will die at age 400 while appearing like a freaking centenarian.' four jaws dropped. 'And my mutated life force made me a very powerful magus indeed.'

'What's stopping the Association from making me a Sealing Designate if only to force me to live the nasty life of a breeding mare in hopes to have stronger heirs?' Naruto scoffed. 'Those damn nobles will take turns impregnating me to strengthen their own bloodlines and I would never see those children ever again. I'll be made to breed till I die and disappear at the footnote of history. And if I die, my body will be dissected for scientific research for sure, wondering how someone like me exists and trying to gain my blood and DNA for themselves if only to enhance themselves. I'll be defiled whether or not I'm alive or dead out of their greed.'

'And a longer lifespan and longer time to stay young gives them more time for any Magi's goal. Akasha.' Touko said wryly. 'However, while those worries are valid, Naruto is untouchable.' Naruto glanced at her. 'She is from another world who went here with the help of Kaleidoscope, the Second Great Magic. Zelretch. She was taken here to learn how to use the Mystic Eyes she got when she was 13 and permitted to learn Magecraft despite it not existing in her world. If Magi here dares to touch her in hopes to breed her blood, the Counter Force will interfere to protect her as the existence of Uzumaki belongs in another world. Sure, she can live here as she pleases in society but she will not age here. She will only age in her original world while here, she's frozen as our world's time does not affect her. That's why she can't go to school yet can take part-times she can quit anytime and never be seen again.'

'However...' Touko smirked. 'I AM a puppet-maker, aren't I? And Naruto, being a ninja knows Henge no Jutsu...in her current self, she can attend her freshman year and then use the puppets as her Familiars to go to school in her stead. She and the puppet will take turns when it comes to things like picture-taking and medical check-ups. Henge cannot register in a photo. Her image in a picture will be distorted. Hence we need a puppet. Naruto has to stay until she's 20 in Earth Years for some reason she and Zelretch could not disclose so we have to do it.'

xxx

And so...

Reien Girls' Academy...

Naruto didn't know whether to be happy or not.

One: she's back in school again. At least it's no Konoha Academy.

Two: it was one hell of a time to forge her frigging existence in Mifune...as Touko's ward.

Three: she's a 19 year old who should be in College, yet...sigh.

Four: she's gotten famous. And the annoyance of fangirls ensued.

In the meantime, her stay is temporary as she'll be using puppets in the next two years, with Touko starting construction...with reluctantly using ill-gotten money.

Naruto disguised as Tsunade, went to a Casino, and started gambling and 'robbing' the poor schmucks dry.

Touko and Shiki could not believe she's that lucky and she's not using Magecraft to cheat to win. She didn't need to. Moreover, such a woman with frighteningly big boobs the size of melons actually existed in her world?

'Good grief...they practically kicked you out.' Shiki choked out as Naruto was whistling with her ill-gotten wealth.

'I was always lucky~!' Naruto chimed happily. 'Lottery, Casinos, Games of Chances, I always win! If I ever lose, it's a bad omen! And since I haven't lost yet, we're still OK.'

'You base your life on how much you win and lose?!'

'Yep.'

And she got Touko 80 million to construct her puppet and make it convincingly look like a late teens version of her.

It's that expensive as the kind of puppets that got Touko Designated in the first place really looks like a human body. Convincingly real. However, the 'blood' and 'body fluids' which were magical substances made of Alchemy needed to 'run it' are of course, FAKE. In a way, the former is 'fuel' while the latter is 'oil' that keeps it moving smoothly.

But for now, she has a mission and left a powered clone to take her place. Touko called and gave her the gist of the situation.

Old acquaintances of hers used the apartment she helped design, the Ogawa Complex as a workshop protected by a Bounded Field to hide from the Counter Force as they experimented on a 'miniature world that concludes in a day'. After driving all the occupants to kill one another, he has been making them repeat their deaths over the past half year, their corpses were stored on the other side of the apartment while puppets controlled by the brains of the deceased posing as them lived on the other side, forever repeating the day they lived before killing each other. Enjou Tomoe, a puppet managed to escape his fate with Shiki's help, but Shiki got taken by Araya Souren and Mikiya and Tomoe need her help to save Shiki while Touko will personally deal with her ex-colleagues.

Personal Issues and all.

Mission Accepted. She went at full speed to the complex, dressed and equipped to fight. She met up with the boys at the parking lot.

'Good good, you waited for me!' Naruto piped up as she came...from above. While Mikiya was used to this, Tomoe isn't.

'S-s-she just...' Tomoe sputtered out in disbelief while looking at her then at the height she fell from.

'Well, she's a ninja, that's normal for her.' Mikiya chuckled. 'And didn't you hide at Shiki's house? Surely you should know what it's like.'

'It's still unbelievable!' Tomoe retorted.

'Maa maa...' Naruto chuckled as she got ready. 'Mikiya, Tomoe, did Touko tell you why Shiki-chan got kidnapped?'

'Yeah...this morning before I met Enjou.' said Mikiya. 'They took Shiki because she's connected to the Spiral of the Origin and they want to use her.' Naruto groaned at this.

'Damn, they knew about that huh?' Naruto swore. Outsiders knew of Shiki's nature so most likely...they may know hers, too.

'Wait...you know too?' Mikiya blurted incredulously.

'Yeah. Had you studied Magecraft and Japanese Sorcery, it's easy to figure Shiki-chan out.' Naruto told the boys. 'The Sorcery Trait of the Ryougi are their Dual Personalities gained through training. Shiki-chan, a born girl trained to gain a second personality who would become the boy. Yin and Yang, Taijitu. In Onmyoudo, you call it Ryougi. The Ryougi Clan just changed how their name is spelled to hide that fact. With a name and sorcery trait like that, and possessing the Death Perception Eyes, she, rather, the lines of death she sees are a path to the Origin. Both of us are but while mine is a one-way road with no return, add the fact that they'll risk the Counter Force by using me, Shiki, due to the embodiment of Yin and Yang in her family's bloodline despite losing her male personality, is a two-way street. Both of us are paths to every Magi's wet dream Mikiya, Tomoe.' she grimaced.

'And because Shiki-chan is a two-way street...we have to kill Araya and Cornelius Alba.' she continued grimly. 'If the Association finds out...'

'They'll come for her.' Tomoe growled. 'Let's go!' they ran for the apartment complex but Alba was there to greet them.

'Yo~! Nice timing!' he greeted. 'I was thinking of going to see you just now.' he said jovially while holding Touko's head, causing the two men to gasp.

'Mikiya, Tomoe, go!' Naruto barked as the two men ran off, leaving her with the man. 'See us? You sound so sarcastic while you're at it.'

'So you're the real apprentice.' Alba chuckled. 'I thought it's that brunette.'

'Meh, how on earth did you mistake him to be Touko's apprentice?' Naruto snorted as she destroyed the Touko head he was holding. Alba laughed hysterically at this...and forgot why Araya kept that head alive in the process and gave it to him as a trophy instead.

'You just killed your own teacher?!' he laughed in hysterics as Naruto just smirked.

'I had to do that for a very good reason you see?' she smirked evilly. 'You'll see why later but for now...we fight!' and she proved to be too much for the red-clad man who was shocked that Touko actually has a pupil THIS powerful. Despite the elemental disadvantage, she still overwhelms him with sheer power alone and she makes her wind cold so his fire has trouble working on her. She played with him down to his misery until she stopped.

'Oh Touko~!' Naruto called out to Alba's horror as Touko was there...with a briefcase.

'Didn't Araya tell you not to destroy my head, otherwise my next body will activate?' Touko grinned maliciously.

'T-that can't be!' Alba gasped out. 'Y-you're dead! You can't be alive!' he cried in disbelief as Touko rolled her eyes.

'I'm here aren't I, idiot?' she sneered. 'So looks like you had a game with my pupil and you're badly losing...and you're someone who'll become the Director of Sponheim Abbey? What a joke.' she dropped her suitcase and it opened...and out came Touko's strongest familiar as it moved fast to catch Alba before he could react and slowly being eaten by those mouths.

'Bye-bye~!' Naruto grinned as Alba screamed as he was pulled into the suitcase where he met his doom. 'Gawd, that was just pathetic. And he's made Director?' she scoffed. 'Association standards have gone totally low.'

'Well, originally he would be quite the fighter as good as you.' Touko told her much to the redhead's disbelief. 'Just that when I surpassed him in our study of Runes, he never forgave it. He has his pride as a First-Rate Magus, blessed with 80 Circuits of a high quality yet a person like me with only 20 EX Circuits, just a Fourth-Rate exceeded him. He got vengefully-obsessed with me since.' she drawled. 'And time and again, I keep on exceeding him and so, when my name is mentioned, he loses all rationality and common sense. He becomes a 'brainless brawn' so to say. I'd call it hilariously tragic.' she snorted.

'Right...hilarious.' Naruto deadpanned. 'I wanna go laugh boredly.' the older redhead snickered.

'Well, all that's left are those guys.' Touko smirked. 'Let's wait for those two shall we?'

'Yeah.' and they waited by the car until Mikiya and Shiki are back...while Touko had to deal with Araya after Shiki got through with him.


	12. Return Home

Return Home

It has been two years since that day.

Shiki is now a third year High School Student, while still under employ in the agency and Naruto is also a second year high schooler...even though she really didn't want to yet forced to attend school and wear uniforms similar to a nun's dress. Then again, it's a catholic school for girls, aiming to teach girls how to be prim and proper ladies. Ideal Yamato Nadeshiko in fact.

She also has to deal with lesbians who both admire and lust after her.

Well, she's a beautiful model who got famous and set up new standards for Japanese models who can still be shapely and curvaceous despite being slim and slender, not shapeless frame of only skin and bones. And in swimming classes, her shape is well-known. And with her ability to make Kage Bunshin, she practically devoured the school library that her grades are so up that she's privileged to go home every after school to her apartment. The other reason is her job as a teenaged model and she has contracts.

However, one of her contracts...involved men's magazine and she'll pose in sexy lingerie or semi-naked in some places. And shootings took place in nature. On some shots, she had to wear a wig because some shots needed long hair.

She didn't like long hair.

It reminded her of HIM and his betrayal.

She only wanted to be loved and cared for yet he took advantage of her and used her. She could never forgive him. But she managed to stay professional in her work even though the crew is feeling shivers down their spine and killing intent for some reason.

After her jobs are done, some guys attempted to seduce her to their beds, but a well-placed Mental influence shook them off.

She would never give her body to a man who would just use her, hurt her and throw her away.

She sometimes envied Shiki for having a man like Mikiya. A man who could never hurt anyone in his life due to his origin. He would and could only love, nurture and care. Shiki is practically secured to a life of happiness while she had no man like that who would love her and care for her.

Sometimes, she wondered if suicide is an option. The only people who would truly love her are dead. Her parents. Her kunai and her wrist looks tempting on some days but she remembers the light of hope she left behind in her world. If she dies, the light she made will be put out.

On those two years, it was time for the Fifth Grail War and it was time to collect her pay for her job in training Shirou. And she got her pay from Archer.

She needed Rulebreaker dammit. Sure she can Trace but as her specialty is not weapons, she can only have little in her repertoire.

And the time for her is getting closer, she thieved as many souvenirs as she could that she knew they would like. Particularly from pet shops and zoos.

Once she got everything...she sealed the others in several scrolls with names on them and various cages that cannot be sealed are in a big wooden platform on wheels with the smallest and lightest creatures above, and the bigger, heavier ones on the bottom...Zelretch then took her home with her...baggage.

xxx

Konoha...

Tsunade twitched as while she's glad that Naruto's back...she came home with a menagerie of expensive-looking, purebreed cats and dogs. The cats would go to some people she considered 'friends' most of whom are outside the village, while the dogs would go to the Inuzuka, and the plethora of bugs she's never seen before would go to Shino.

There's even 'care manuals' about the critters for pete's sake.

'So now that you're back for good and it took you only five months since you left Suna.' said Tsunade. 'How did your employment go?'

'Pretty sweet and easy, I had fun.' Naruto chuckled. 'The jobs I did are much more fun than doing ninja work, honestly. 'Maybe I should consider becoming a writer...' Tsunade choked on her sake at this. 'I also got interested in some new careers since being a ninja bores me now since nothing about a promising future comes at the end of it anyway.' she scoffed. 'I just discovered there's more to life too and I plan on doing it~!'

'I hope you're not into smut like Jiraiya...' Tsunade grumbled out as Naruto scoffed.

'That junk of his? Oh please.' Naruto sneered. 'I've seen more literary educated five year olds in posh academies where I stayed at. Had he sold Icha Icha there nobody, not even a man calling himself proud pervert would buy it! Moreover I've seen their porn standards over there. The standards are so high perverts in the ninja regions can fantasize happily while playing solo!' Tsunade sweatdropped and looked weirded out. 'In fact~! I got loads of porn for Kakashi-sensei!' if the ANBU were to show up, they would have sweatdropped in public. 'Hard core porn he can easily score a girlfriend wanting great action enough to pass out~!'

'THROW IT AWAY!' Tsunade thundered in her office in a crossly exasperated outburst. 'THE LAST THING WE WANT HERE ARE EDUCATED PERVERTS!'

'But it's my souvenir for him, I can't just throw it away!'

'Get rid of it!'

'No way~!' thus a chase began.

'...you think the porn will ever get to senpai? That lucky bastard.' one voice spoke out. 'He's lucky to have a considerate student!'

'With Hokage-sama chasing Uzumaki? I doubt it. I hope she gets away, senpai always shares when it comes to manly interests!' another moaned out hopefully.

'I seriously can't believe you two idiots!' grumbled another.

xxx

And so...around the village...

Naruto, to Tsunade's exasperation was highly skilled in getting away. It doesn't help that she can fly!

'Neener neener neener! You can't catch me big-booby baachan!'

'Get back here and throw that junk away!'

'No way~! Catch me first so nyeeeeh!'

'Holy, is that Naruto and Shishou?' Sakura blinked as she wondered why are two Uzumaki descendants chasing each other in the streets. And all she got was 'throw that junk away!' from the blonde.

Shrugging, she can always ask the ANBU guard in her office...and soon learned that she brought home souvenirs, and for their sensei, she brought home hardcore porn! And when Kakashi got wind of it from his ex-subordinates, naturally he'll help out Naruto to get his 'treasure'!

The royal chase, was on, while the ANBU ensured the bugs and dogs got to the recipients, they subtly asked the two boys for help in helping Naruto NOT be caught by Tsunade and Sakura for the 'sake of men's fantasies' that she possessed. If they help her, they can get to share a men's only viewing session led by Kakashi!

Shino had no idea what the ANBU meant by that but Kiba knows and dragged him into it, yelling, 'For the youthful men in the world!'

'I don't understand?!'

'DON'T YOU DARE, KIBA!' Kurenai snarled as she understood what the men meant. 'Hinata after them!' she ordered her female student to chase her teammates down. She could not go because she's pregnant.

xxx

'Ohhhh...' Kakashi squealed as in the Forest of Death facility...Naruto got to give Kakashi his souvenirs after giving their chasers the slip. 'The Holy Grail of a man's fantasies~!' inside the scroll named 'Kakashi' are porn tapes in VHS format and porn magazines.

'You better hide for a while sensei.' said Naruto. 'Once the hype dies down, you can freely watch and read. And incase Sakura got to your collection, I have spares!' Kakashi sparkled in delight.

'I got the best student in the world! Whoop-dee-doo yabba dabba dooooo~!' Kakashi celebrated happily like a good pervert should. Needless to say, he hid the spare scrolls using his summons in different training grounds.

xxx

And so...

'They're sooo cute~!' Naruto had various showcats who are absolutely adorable to have for pets, and in pairs for breeding potential. And dogs in various sizes. from cute dogs to scenthounds and tracking dogs.

'But who will seriously get the cats? They're all in pairs for breeding hopes, right?' Tsunade asked her while petting a fluffy white persian cat.

'Yeah...we'll have them breed first and wean the kittens before I send the pairs to their intended recipients.' said Naruto. 'Since some of them are long-haired cats, they'll never do well in hot places. Only short-haired cats can go to tropical and hot climates.'

'Ohhh...'

'I even have care manuals for the cats and dogs, so the owners can handle them just fine.' Naruto continued. 'They're meant to be affectionate companions for their owners.'

'I see...' said Tsunade. 'I think I'll want to keep a pair myself but I prefer kittens.' she said. 'We'll have to breed these ones so soon, we'll have more of these adorable little fellows. But hey, did you get rid of the porn?'

'Nope.'

'...damn brat...'

'Well, in the meantime, here's yours, Sakura's and Shizune's.' said Naruto, taking out three scrolls but opening only one which was Tsunade's. 'Effective anti-wrinkle, anti-pimples, anti-scar, skin-whitening and bleaching, anti-cellulite, body-hair removal creams and anti-fat products as well as breast-enhancement stuff. They work with proper discipline on the user's part. I'd know because I used them too but surely you can improve those?'

'Oho~! Sakura will be happy with this one!' Tsunade chuckled, holding up the box meant for the medics. 'It's been three and a half years and yet...she's still lacking.' Naruto sweatdropped. 'Well it's her fault in the first place for following that foolish starve-yourself diet as a child, it greatly hampered her growth into puberty as an adolescent she'd be a late-bloomer if not for these! We'll find a way to make their effectiveness better for sure.'

'Well, I got more deliveries to make.' said Naruto but Tsunade halted her. 'Huh?'

'Can't you make the same barrier you made on Suna in the Hokage Residence...?' Tsunade asked her. 'I'm having a pain in the arse time lately.'

'Any specifications?'

'Only those loyal to me and the safety and well-being of the village can enter this tower.' said Tsunade as she gave Naruto a long list of specifications.

'Very well. But this will raise eyebrows but I suppose you want to root out moles who will cause you problems?'

'Of course. Oh, apply the barrier in our important facilities as well and clan comppounds. But on the clan compounds, do it an hour after you do the residence. By then I'd have sent messages to clan heads and gave them enough time to understand.'

'Very well. But first...' Naruto activated her Death Perception Eyes and Tsunade saw a pair of special eyes. 'You have an interesting chakra linked to your eyes and into your mind. You're under someone's influence, ba-chan.'

'WHAT?!' Tsunade howled in anger. 'WHO?!'

'I don't know but I'll follow the trail first.' said Naruto. 'If I make the barrier, the connection will be cut off quickly. And I don't know what it makes you do...and oddly enough, I see the same links all over the village. Even your ANBU are hooked.'

'What?!'

'FIND THIS BASTARD NOW and sever the links on the ninja!' Tsunade hollered as Naruto quickly left to do as told. 'Hold on, I didn't get to ask what those eyes are...' she sputtered out. 'Ahhh dammit...'

'Er maybe it's for chakra detecting and sensing purposes?' one ANBU suggested.

'That could be it but its like the Hyuuga Byakugan...moreover how come none of them saw THIS?'

'Something weird is going ON here...' Tsunade growled. 'And I intend to find out WHAT!'

And so...Naruto set her familiars to work with special gadgets designed to see the links...leading to hidden facilities both inside and outside the village with securities that only allow those who know of the places in but detect intruders who are not 'signed in'. Even a bird she sent got quickly killed by men in masks and black cloaks.

All caught on camera.

Upon recording everything, she formatted them on a VHS Tape and upon severing the links of every ninja in the village, Naruto put up the barrier in the Hokage Residence, Ninja Academy, important shinobi facilities, Hospital and clan compounds...and let all Shinobi who could enter the residence watch the video feeds and there's five linking to these facilities. But the interesting fact is, the main link moves quites often so all links are linked to the caster.

With all links severed, they would keep an eye on the place and who comes out and Naruto left the work to the ninja since she's done her part. Knowing she lit up a powder keg is as good as satisfying. She could care less about Konoha but she'll do a few favors as long as Tsunade's the leader still but if the seats change, all bets are off.

Using Alchemy on stolen materials, she built herself a home, and put a barrier in a very wide space, so she could grow a garden and live in peace...which she did for some time. And with her new looks, she could easily do her shopping and leave the rest to Tsunade and those on her side to clean up whatever heck they're dealing with.

xxx

A week later...Naruto was summoned by the Council, the people Tsunade called that is. The ANBU Commander, Jounin and Tokujo in important jobs, and the Clan heads. She came after changing her hair color into blonde with magic.

'Naruto,' said Tsunade. 'Considering the footages we gathered with your help, we have determined that they are the ANBU Sub-Division called ROOT led by Danzo, one of sensei's 'old friends'. In anyone's lessons, ANBU are shadows who does the work nobody wants to do...but ROOT takes this to another whole level. For your sake I will explain.'

'ROOT takes on missions Danzo believes will benefit Konoha and they will only act on his will.' said Tsunade. 'In our language, that means 'his interests' as for the longest time he wanted to be Hokage and does what he believes what a Hokage should do. Some of these missions may be less than respectable. The organisation's top priority is its secrecy, and most of its missions are carried out in the dark - autonomous of Konoha's authority. Root was officially disbanded at some point in the past, but remained active as an underground organisation as we have clearly seen after a week's worth of footages.' she grunted. 'Sensei allowed them to work in the dark, thus the core beliefs is that 'they are the Foundation, the roots that nourish the leaves' namely us.'

'However, at some point in time, sensei discovered how these Root are trained.' Tsunade continued. 'He trained its members to lose their emotions by growing up as brothers from a young age, only to later be made to kill each other. This is done to kill any sense of sentiment or emotional attachment. This method was extremely similar, if not identical, to the Kirigakure Academy's former graduation test. Each member has a codename; even the members themselves apparently do not know their original names. Unlike normal Anbu, they carry a tip-less tantō instead of a katana. Also unlike normal Anbu, members of Root take orders only from Danzo instead of the Kage, unless ordered to otherwise. Another speciality of the organisation was slow, long-term brainwashing.'

'When sensei found this out and was horrified, he wanted the group disbanded if only to protect the future generation. But because ROOT works independently and following another leader, they will not obey sensei unless Danzo orders them to.' Tsunade deadpanned. 'And after you destroyed those 'genjutsu links' linking our every Shinobi to Danzo, forcing them to obey him too and see things his way, ALL of us have problems.' she growled. 'These people have children Danzo had seen potential in, and by ahem, 'persuading them', they gave their children to him for ANBU Training while agreeing in genjutsu influence.'

'And we're not too happy about it.' Choza growled. 'But what's done is done, they're no more than mindless drones now...' he swore in gritted teeth.

'We have called you here to ask about your eyes.' said Tsunade. 'They can see things not even the Byakugan can see or if that's because of Danzo's genjutsu technique he managed to cast without us none the wiser.'

'Oh, this?' Naruto activated her eyes.

'Wow...those eyes are beautiful...just like jewels!' Hiashi gasped out at the sight of Naruto's eyes.

'If we ninja call these eyes 'Doujutsu', the lands I worked in for quite a while call these eyes Magan.' said Naruto. 'And even my temporary teacher thinks my eyes are unusual as there's nothing like it in his country. But when I activate it, I see jutsu pathways and chakra flow but I can't see Tenketsu, and destruction lines and points that are ANYWHERE.'

'Destruction lines and points?' Shikaku mused with a frown.

'Yeah. If my eyes are activated, and I touch these lines or trace it with my hands or with whatever weapon I have, I'll cause damage or absolute destruction of that object, depending on how big the line is. The points appear on living things. If I touch your main point, not only are you dead, but you'll also be in pieces in just one poke. Let's see...this round table will do as an example.' she mused as she traced the main point of the round table. Sure enough it looked like an innocent finger caress as if checking for dust, but the table cracked all over and shattered to pieces to many disbelief.

'She's not kidding!' Inoichi gasped out.

'Well, that only happens if my eyes are on. But if not activated, that harmless touch will really be harmless...and we don't have a name for it yet because it's still untested to its max power and I'm still working on it.' Naruto sighed. 'And my teacher harvested an egg cell from me to see if I can breed it...I can't.' she said as she showed photos of a laboratory facility wherein there's medical tanks with a baby inside it and laboratory results she unsealed from a scroll(she created this with magic and is VERY fake). 'It's a mutation I can't pass on.' Tsunade spread the photos and files all over for everyone to have a look.

'They seriously did this?!' Tsunade sputtered out in disbelief. 'And you allowed this on your own child?'

'When it comes to Doujutsu and new discoveries, they go all the way as if New Years came early because Doujutsu are revered there.' said Naruto. 'New discoveries makes them want to see if it can be bred to create new clans. I got surrounded by their government's agents and taken to a lab to take some of my egg cells during my fertile days every month. For a year they created twelve clones of me using artificial womb machines and none of the babies inherited my eyes. But they were still government wards so I couldn't take my clone children home even if they were experimental failures.' she said sadly. 'I would have wanted a family even if they came out of horrible means.' and she played her acting well. 'And considering what I am, I will have a hard time having kids by natural birth. But I got a compromise. They gave me the technology for the artificial womb so Jinchuuriki like me can give birth without risking our seals because for females, our seals weaken during childbirth and chances of our...thingy coming out rise by several factors.' the adults blanched. Nobody wants a repeat of Kyuubi Attack any day!

'I see...' Tsunade sighed. 'At least you got something out of that. And maybe its for the best that your eyes cannot be passed on. Abuse potential is very high. Frighteningly so if the wrong person in the future gets access to such power. Also, it can help us raise our numbers in quick ways too without causing stress on us women. But the issue is, can Kekkei Genkai be passed on through artificial birth?'

'No idea but they guaranteed it. But if it works on them and their clans...why not us?' Naruto shrugged. 'Any uh...willing volunteers as soon as we set the machines up? One fertilized egg cell per clan?'

'Hey, some of us aren't Kekkei Genkai, we're specialists.' said Tsume wryly. 'Only the Hyuuga Clan here is a Kekkei Genkai you know.' Hiashi inwardly blanched.

'And we have no idea how the end product will turn out.' said Hiashi wryly. 'This...scares me a bit and I have to deal with the clan elders for this.'

While Naruto's story is a flat lie, the technology DOES exist.


	13. Cloning Blues

Cloning Blues

Naruto had given the blueprints and the formulas needed for the egg to develop into an embryo and soon, baby.

The machines are built but as Naruto has computer-programming experience, she did the program formatting while Tsunade created the 'amniotic fluid' and various tubes to feed nutrients to the baby. The machine took a month to make and the programming and the magecraft needed took a whole day when the machine is fully built.

Patient Zero Project has begun and the machine is in Naruto's house with her own child as the specimen in question.

Soon, the embryo is developing. There is a way to speed up the process of growth by adjusting the formula but that was one thing 'the scientists' did not give her(which was also a lie as Naruto knew how and made it herself). So until Tsunade 'creates a formula similar to what they used,' the embryo will grow in the same pregnancy rate of nine months. Even then she was looking after it. According to Naruto, Clones can be made if the Fertilized Egg was modified by removing the right genes from either father or mother donor although not always perfect as some traits of the other parent may remain.

However, if clones are made from other DNA Sources such as blood, hair, etc, the clone children will inherit the exact same genetics and same telomere length as that of the source. Thus genetically, despite how young they look, they have the DNA of 40-something adults and will die in thirty years out of 'genetic old age' by telomere deterioration instead of the life expectancy of 70 years or more. Not only that, their fertility level will also be affected as when humans are in their middle-aged years, fertility levels lower depending on the individual's genetics...or lose fertility entirely at a mere age twenty.

And if clones are made, they are to be 'younger siblings' of the donor regardless of age, not parent. But if a couple willingly had a baby together with both their genetics in the artificial womb, then it's their child.

They can also choose the gender of the fertilized embryos by tweaking the XX and XY chromosomes if there's enough cells to work with without harm to the developing cells.

* * *

AN: TvTrope Artistic Biology. Please ignore

* * *

'In nine months, it'll be a perfect clone of me.' said Naruto as they looked at her clone. 'But parents who has troubles can do this too so not all children made through the womb are clones.'

'This also has high abuse potential though.' said Nara Shikaku. 'Yeah, this can bolster our numbers but what's stopping people from making more children than they can financially afford?'

'There's that.' said Tsunade. 'Once this child is fully developed, I will study her to see if she's in good health before giving you custody as technically, she's your little sister.' she said. 'If this turned out well for Kekkei Genkai children, we may well have solved future population issues without risking women dying because we women die from childbirth complications or either us or the baby. And as a mother, we will choose to die than our own child taking the axe.'

And so, they waited for nine months but until then...everyone took advantage of the peaceful times they still have to train hard due to the Akatsuki Threat.

In the meantime...Naruto's job is to ensure that nobody has links to Danzo's genjutsu ever again. She would wander for hours before Tsunade schedules a meeting. Her skills are even tested by ANBU to be sure her fighting ability is up for snuff. Indeed it is as she is someone who defeated a hundred puppet army and the Sandaime Kazekage Puppet under Akasuna no Sasori's expert control and fighting ability all by herself until she ran out of energy as she was spending more of her power reviving Gaara than her own fighting ability.

She also cooperated with the clan heads about the technology and studying how it works...in medical mumbo-jumbo.

Thus when those nine months ended, the clone was out. The baby turned out OK upon diagnosis.

Unbeknownst to the Council...there's a clone developing in a hidden chamber of Naruto's house.

Unlike the baby clone, this clone is a thirteen-year-old version of the blonde Naruto before her mutation. Naruto had kept DNA Samples of herself on Touko's orders each time she gets a year older in her apprenticeship. She has five egg and blood cells per year for Magecraft purposes. Naruto literally had no purpose and she got one now.

She programmed this clone'e memories using Magecraft. Her knowledge of Ninjutsu, Ryougi-Style Martial Arts, instinctive access of Magic Circuits yet no knowledge of it, how to do Reinforcement on herself for extra strength and speed, and things she needed to know in order to live a normal life. Unlike her, her clones do not have the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception...but she certainly gave her 13 year old clone a pair of specially-modified eyes. She gave her clone the Mystic Eyes of Whisper.

However, in regards to her own identity and personality, she has no idea she is a clone. All she has is her name and nothing else but her programmed knowledge. And unlike Naruto herself, this clone does not have her physically-trained body. Her strength is that of just a civilian girl her age. This one would have to train to gain a physically trained body of a kunoichi. The clone has the required knowledge to become strong, all she needs, is practice. In regards to personality, it would be up to her when she wakes.

With the name Himiko(secret child-literally), Naruto arranged for her clone to live in a Country...at the Land of Spring to be exact where she'll awaken in a small hut and only woke up when Naruto was long gone, and for it to have a life of its own on a journey to self-learning while building a life for herself. The clone unlike her, was allowed to keep her hair long, considering Naruto's hatred of long hair.

This was an experiment on Naruto's part.

She wanted to see if her clone can live a different life and destiny from hers as they have the same body and face despite 'age gap' or if she could find happiness down to the very end unlike her who only got nothing but misery, loneliness and emptiness.

In the meantime, Naruto kept the baby clone and named it Nozomi. She quit being a ninja, turning in her hitai-ate much to the surprise of those who knew her, and took to being a writer first, before Manga Artist. She hardly knows anything about Konoha anyway, so she cannot be forced in the military. As far as she knew, all she learned from Kakashi were General Education, proper ninja basics and combat. The rest of her skills were gained in Earth. She wasn't even trained as a Jinchuuriki and possess Jinchuuriki abilities either. She jokingly remarked that she was 'the most worthless Jinchuuriki so what's the point of keeping her in the military to serve a village who'd rather she's dead?' So she could care less about the village that did not suit well with Danzo and she ignored his demands, as well as those of others. She also killed any ROOT he sent at her and delivered their corpses in front of the Hokage Residence, painting the word 'Ne' in blood on the walls as she checks daily for manipulated shinobi.

To sum it up, she wrote a story about Geisha, with the main character starting off as a Minarai, and a girl who was sold to a pleasure quarter to become an Oiran and the hellish competition to become Tayu. With these three first novels, all main characters and others in it have one thing in common: hard lives. And her fourth story the life of ninja. Earth's idea of Ninja, not her world's ninja. Like Jiraiya, she also wrote her books in series. She worked with her clones who acts as her writers while she cares for little Nozomi as a full time mother, and buying her groceries outside the village. However, due to problems caused by Akatsuki, she created a Puppet Familiar to serve as a babysitter while she fights incase anything happens, or she goes to groceries outside the village to buy needs.

However, one day...

'Naruto,' Sakura came to visit her ex-teammate who now focused on raising her young clone that can now crawl around.

'Sakura, I do hope this is a normal visit. If I am being summoned, do remember I'm not a ninja in rank or anything anymore.' said Naruto coolly. 'So,' she said with emphasis. 'Not even Tsunade can boss me around anymore as her subordinate.'

'But still!' Sakura sputtered out and the rosette found herself booted out of the barrier that clearly meant 'end of discussion'. 'Naruto!' she called out in exasperation as she tried to charge in, but the barrier blocked her out now. Sighing, she went back to her master's office.

'So that's what she said huh? I could really use her help in this case.' Tsunade sighed. 'Her skills are invaluable.' But as she said, she no longer has authority over her younger cousin whose animosity was at the village that made her life hell for simply living, she could care less if Akatsuki struck and destroyed the village which was what got Danzo frothing at the mouth, especially as she left brutalized corpses of his Ne agents outside the Hokage Residence. The only ninja thing she does anymore, is check them for manipulations.

'She didn't even let me finish talking.' said Sakura gloomily. 'If it was a social visit, we can get through. But if it's ninja business, we get booted out.'

'I'll try talking to her.' said Jiraiya. 'I was hoping I could patch things up with her.'

'You have several months and you wait until NOW?' Tsunade groused out in annoyance. 'It just further deepens her animosity with you and so is your hopes of ever forming a family bond with her. The only ones who can even have a civil conversation anymore is myself, Shizune, Sakura, Kakashi and Gaara. She could care less about anyone else anymore. You can clearly count on your hands how many that is.' she said in exasperation. 'The only good thing that came out of this is she has enough balls to make Danzo froth at the mouth. That was a day to remember indeed.' she said in bemusement.

'Yeah but I'll still try hime.' said Jiraiya. 'But how can I get through to her?' he asked her, hoping for advice.

'Be sincere and do not be afraid of her rejection Jiraiya. Keep pushing.' Tsunade told her. 'By being damn stubborn after quite some trouble, she'll see you're sincere and give you a chance. Better a chance than what you're doing now, idiot.'


	14. Novelist's Debut

Novelist's Debut

Naruto left the village to publish her book series in a publishing company but first, she must bypass...a Literary Agent and get their approval.

She used the name Namikaze Kuyouki as her penname and had the agent read the book one-s of her three stories.

'Eto Namikaze-san, these books are very real...you can really feel real life experiences in these books. Even this fictional ninja stuff.' said the middle-aged man after he read all three books for an hour each. 'But I want to be sure that you really ARE the writer of these books.' he said sternly. 'Tell me about these books in your point of view.'

Naruto ended up reciting her novels word for word with occasional gulps of tea and the man is convinced, as only the writer would know about their books. He recommended her with his approval to a company in Fire Capital to get her stories to a publishing company and have them read it too before they can publish it, in order to get criticism and hear their receptions before investing in, and publishing the book. Thus within weeks, the books are out in the Capital in the 'New Arrivals' Section of Bookstores and what companies they are from. The bigger the company name, the more big time the books are.

And so, when Naruto's books are bought...50 of the profits go to her account in the company and the other 50 go to the company.

In the meantime, Naruto decided to start a new workshop venture...creating puppets. She gathered(stole) the materials needed to create a puppet. A mechanical programmed one at that.

She created a body of metal but the outer appearance is a perfect human, beautiful girl that runs on biodegradable material as fuel as well as sunlight. That way, no need to spend on money for oil or something. That biodegradable material is good ol' food. She programmed the personality in the heart and knowledge in the cpu shaped like a brain on the head. She was almost finished by re-charging the puppet by sunbathing it when Tsunade dropped by for the monthly check-ups of Nozomi.

But...

'NARUTOOO!' Tsunade screeched out upon seeing a beautiful, naked girl lying on the grass with eyes wide open. 'What's a naked girl doing outside your house?!'

'Oh, her?' Naruto said casually. 'She's my puppet.' she said casually while Tsunade's eyes bulged like saucers.

'A what?!' Tsunade sputtered out incredulously as her eyes fell on the naked girl.

'I created a mechanical body but the outside appearance is that of a beautiful human girl.' Naruto quipped. 'Cute isn't she? She's out there sunbathing since she needs sunlight to recharge. She's too empty be activated to take in biodegradable material as an alternate fuel source.' she said with a shrug.

'At least give the girl some clothes.' Tsunade grumbled. 'She's so lifelike in appearance I thought it was real! Anyway, I'm here to check up on Nozomi.' she said as she went inside the house.

'Even if I want to I can't.' Naruto deadpanned. 'The skin absorbs the heat from the sun and sends the power to the generator located behind the core. My Doll has two alternate energy sources: Solar Energy from the sun and food. There's a generator in the stomach area that speeds the rotting process of food to release its methane gas that it takes in as fuel, and then it has a defecating mechanism to take the unusable rot out when it no longer produces gas so it goes to the toilet.' Tsunade looked utterly disbelieving. 'Third alternate biodegradable source is semen from a man so yeah, they can have sex as long as man in question has lube. The Doll is programmed to feel the same things we do in our bodies. Pain, hunger and sexual pleasure. My mentor taught me how to create a puppet like that and it's my first time creating one.'

'You've got to be kidding me?!'

'Well, it's Gaara's birthday soon so I thought I'd send him my birthday gift.' Naruto chimed. 'And it's a puppet made by me too, he'll never be lonely in his office!' she giggled. 'She will do everything for him. Chores, cook his food and bodyguarding.'

'I see...but he'll be shocked you know.' said Tsunade wryly. 'You'll send him a life-like puppet for his freaking birthday.'

'Yeah. I'll go to Suna with Nozomi-chan so I want to be sure she'll be OK traveling in this heat.' said Naruto as Tsunade picked up Nozomi for her check-up. 'How's motherhood?'

'Well, I'm doing my best.' said Naruto. 'I'm raising Nozomi as I would have wanted to be raised...I took care of all her needs and everything but one thing I can't give is the one thing I want most. And since I never knew it, I can't give it to her.' she said with a sad smile. 'I never knew the love of a mother. I read books but it just isn't the same.' she said sadly. 'It doesn't feel right.' Tsunade felt sorry for the teenager. 'I can give Nozomi everything but love because I never knew love.'

'This is why I told you to go out and hang out with your friends.' said Tsunade softly. 'They care for you.'

'My only friends...?' even that sounded doubting. 'They are in the country I worked at...Touko-sensei, Shiki-chan, Azaka-chan, Mikiya and my one-time pupil Shirou...then there's Sakura but she's busy as a doctor and Gaara's also in another country. 'That's as far as my age group goes. Kakashi's and Hoseki-ojisan are adults but intergenerational friendships are possible right?'

'Yeah you dummy.' Tsunade chuckled. 'Go find Kakashi. Maybe he can help you out before you give Gaara your...unusual birthday gift.' she said with a grimace. 'But Naruto, here's an advice.' she said. 'Due to wars I never had parents either.' she said softly. 'My brother and I are orphans. I was mostly raised by my grandfather and uncle...the Shodaime and Nidaime respectively.' she said. 'Even if they knew nothing about parenting, they tried their best to show us that we are loved. They gave us everything we wanted material wise, but they also spent time with us too, teaching us wise stuff. When we're upset or crying, they would comfort us but never coddle us. They raised us to be good kids who knows what's right from wrong...and they make sure we're happy by doing what makes us happy. They would never do things that will hurt us and make us cry. And sometimes...a hug is enough.'

'A hug...' Naruto mumbled as she remembered the times that Sasuke 'loved' her. He hugged her too sometimes and she felt better when he does. 'I guess I do know a hug...even if its fake but I tasted a hug from Gaara too and he made me feel fuzzier than that bastard did.' Tsunade inwardly winced as a certain boy flashed in her mind. 'But where do I get a real hug so I'd know how it feels like so I can give Nozomi a real hug that really makes me feel warm and fuzzy...Touko-sensei gave me that kind of hug but only once. Hoseki-ojisan took me to her because at the time...I guess I was still heartbroken that everything was a lie. I forgot how it feels like. I only got a hug once from Gaara too.'

'A hug can't be just any hug Naruto-baka.' Tsunade told her kindly. 'As long as you know that you care for one another and comforted by a person you care for or love, you will feel warm and comforted by that simple gesture alone. As long as you love and care for Nozomi, a hug from you is worth a lot, same for the hugs you get from people who love you.'

'Oh...so by wanting what's best for Nozomi and her happiness, I love her?'

'Yes.' after checking on Nozomi, Tsunade knew she needed to get drunk. Seriously.

xxx

'Naru-chan~' Kakashi visited his pupil while forcing himself to ignore the naked body lying in the garden, having been warned by Tsunade beforehand. She practically ordered him to teach Naruto how to be a 'proper human girl who knows love' since she wanted to know what love was like in order to be able to love her Clone-Sister Nozomi as she didn't want Nozomi to grow up like she did. She knows what to do but never known what those are.

In the words of the middle-aged woman, 'know love in order to be able to love'.

In their days as Team 7, Kakashi tried to show Naruto that he cares, but adults damaged her so badly she was always cautious and wary of him. She even avoided their clients in general and merely doing what she was supposed to do. She would flinch when a hand was reached out to her, thinking they would harm her. And it took a month before Sasuke defected for her to finally trust him and accept him.

Yes, that long.

Jiraiya and Tsunade had it easy because they weren't wearing Konoha hitai-ates and they were ninja. She easily trusted them...until she found out who they are and she was conflicted at first before trusting them, having never harmed her despite knowing her name...and actually treated her well! Although for Jiraiya that went to hell in a handbasket.

'Kakashi-san, hello.' yep, since quitting being ninja she no longer sees him as superior officer. 'What brings you here?'

'I heard you'll go to Suna to give Gaara his birthday gift.' said Kakashi weakly, knowing what's outside IS the gift. 'Tsunade-sama asked me to accompany you just incase. You DO have a baby in tow and you'll never let anybody else touch Nozomi.'

'Yeah.' Naruto giggled.

'By the way, those clones...what are they working on?' Kakashi asked his ex-pupil curiously.

'I now work as a novelist.' said Naruto. 'I recently published book one of all my three books in the Fire Capital's Biggest Publishing Company and they all liked it!' she chirped happily. 'I can support the two of us by simply being writers! And once my novels are done, I can create comic book versions that can even rake in more money! Nozomi and I don't have to worry about our livelihoods anymore.'

'Heee...you wrote books and an aspiring comic book artist too huh?' Kakashi smiled. 'Where's the books?'

'Over there on the table.' said Naruto, pointing at her desk when Nozomi started wailing. 'I wonder what is it this time...all cries are the same, I wish they have different cries for food, water and diaper change...' she moaned as she went to Nozomi's crib while Kakashi made a beeline for the books that has a beautifully illustrated cover and the appearances of the girls are also beautiful.

'I drew the characters too you know.'

'Wow...you definitely learned a lot abroad!' Kakashi exclaimed as he looked for his student's penname...and nearly choked on his spit. 'N-Naruto! Isn't this too obvious?!' he spluttered out at the author's name. She used her father's name and WHAT SHE IS!

Kuyouki is blatantly 'Nine Vessel'!

'Meh, I really don't care anymore.' Naruto snorted. 'Village affairs no longer matter to me. What's important to me now is my family.' she said as she began changing Nozomi's diapers.

'You may not, but we do!' Kakashi spluttered out while still staring at the penname. 'You're practically advertising yourself!'

'So? I can just kill them with my special eyes open, big deal.'

'...you're impossible.'

She really doesn't care anymore about things outside what she cares about. And she cares for little. Her own life, her sister, and the very, very few people she calls friends with full confidence. Everything else can go to hell. Literally so she blatantly used THIS for a penname.

It's like...saying...

Come and get it.

'Well, I'll be borrowing your book about this one...' said Kakashi as he took the book titled, 'A Seedling in Mud'. The picture was a muddy ground with a seed sprouting, and a little peasant girl in a filthy yukata sitting on the ground looking up to the sky with hands reaching out. Her expression spoke volumes.

It resembled the face Naruto used to wear as a child.


End file.
